Camel exposure and knowledge about MERS-CoV among Australian Hajj pilgrims in 2014

Alqahtani, Amani S.; Wiley, Kerrie; Tashani, Mohamed; Heywood, Anita E.; Willaby, Harold W.; BinDhim, Nasser F; Booy, Robert; Rashid, Harunor

doi:10.1007/s12250-015-3669-1

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Overall participants' awareness about the MERS-CoV outbreak in the Middle East recorded in this survey is comparable to other surveys conducted among the general public in Saudi Arabia which showed that over 97% respondents were generally aware of MERS-CoV [8,16], but public awareness in this study was much higher than that among Hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia [17][18][19][20]. However, participants' specific knowledge about the mode of transmission was lower and differed depending on the modalities of transmission; for example, overall 79% participants knew that MERS-CoV transmits through coughing or sneezing (i.e., through large droplets) which is comparable to 72%-91% Saudi public knowing that coughing or sneezing spread MERS-CoV [8,9,16].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Public response to MERS-CoV in the Middle East: iPhone survey in six countries

Alqahtani¹,

Rashid²,

Basyouni³

et al. 2017

Journal of Infection and Public Health

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Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries bear the heaviest brunt of MERS-CoV. This study aims to compare public awareness and practice around MERS-CoV across GCC countries. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Gulf Indicators (GI) smartphone app among people in the six GCC countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. A total of 1812 participants recruited. All were aware of MERS-CoV, yet the perception and practice around MERS-CoV varied widely between countries. Over two thirds were either "not concerned" or "slightly concerned" about contracting MERS-CoV; believing that they were under Allah's (God's) protection (40%) was the most cited reason. While 79% were aware that the disease can transmit through droplet from infected person, only 12% stated that MERS-CoV transmits via camels; people in Saudi Arabia were better aware of the transmission. Nevertheless, only 22% of respondents believed that camels are the zoonotic reservoir of MERS-CoV. Those who were concerned about contracting MERS-CoV (aOR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1, p<0.01) and those who thought MERS-CoV to be a severe disease only for those with high-risk conditions (aOR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.1, p<0.01) were more likely to believe that camels are the zoonotic source. However, residents of KSA (aOR: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01-0.07, p<0.01), UAE (aOR: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.004-0.02, p<0.01) and Kuwait (aOR: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01-0.07, p<0.01) were less likely to believe that camels are the main zoonotic source compared to respondents from the other countries. Hygienic measures were more commonly adopted than avoidance of camels or their raw products, yet there was a discrepancy between the countries. This study highlights that despite being aware of the ongoing MERS-CoV epidemic; many people lack accurate understanding about MERS-CoV transmission, prevention, and are not fully compliant with preventive measures.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Public response to MERS-CoV in the Middle East: iPhone survey in six countries

Alqahtani¹,

Rashid²,

Basyouni³

et al. 2017

Journal of Infection and Public Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Despite 2,500 cases diagnosed in 27 countries and no cases in Australia, the government used the outbreak to partially test its post‐H1N1 delegated infection diseases network. One policy action evaluated Australian Muslims’ H1N1 knowledge before/after the Hajj (Alqahtani et al ).…”

Section: Refocusing On Human Health Pandemics and Quarantinable Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australian Quarantine Policy: From Centralization to Coordination with Mid‐Pandemic COVID‐19 Shifts

Moloney

2020

Public Administration Review

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Combining a historical institutionalism approach with institutional isomorphism and punctuated equilibrium, this article analyzes quarantine policy change across 120 years of Australian quarantine history. By anchoring its analysis within specific time periods (the years before the Spanish flu, seven decades of inaction, and multiple post‐1997 pandemic updates and responses), the authors highlight when and why policies did or did not change and how the constant push‐and‐pull between state and Commonwealth institutional ownership altered policy possibilities. The heart of the analysis showcases how Australia's successful COVID‐19 response is a unique output of prior quarantine policies, institutional evolution, and mid‐pandemic alterations of key national pandemic response plans.

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“…And there was an optimistic outlook on the fatality rate and treatment of the viral infection which may in turn be factors keeping the mild cases from seeking medical attention. Only half of the pilgrims surveyed by Alqahtani et al were aware of MERS and about quarter stated drinking camel milk or visiting a camel farm as possible activities to be pursued during Hajj [102]. In a 2013 study, no MERS-CoV was detected amongst over 1000 pilgrims tested, but 2% of those tested in 2014 were positive [103,104].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The global spread of Middle East respiratory syndrome: an analysis fusing traditional epidemiological tracing and molecular phylodynamics

Min

Cocco

Ciccozzi

et al. 2016

glob health res policy

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BackgroundSince its discovery in 2012, over 1700 confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been documented worldwide and more than a third of those cases have died. While the greatest number of cases has occurred in Saudi Arabia, the recent export of MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to Republic of Korea showed that a pandemic is a possibility that cannot be ignored. Due to the deficit of knowledge in transmission methodology, targeted treatment and possible vaccines, understanding this virus should be a priority. Our aim was to combine epidemiological data from literature with genetic information from viruses sequenced around the world to present a phylodynamic picture of MERS spread molecular level to global scale.MethodsWe performed a qualitative meta-analysis of all laboratory confirmed cases worldwide to date based on literature, with emphasis on international transmission and healthcare associated infections. In parallel, we used publicly available MERS-CoV genomes from GenBank to create a phylogeographic tree, detailing geospatial timeline of viral evolution.ResultsSeveral healthcare associated outbreaks starting with the retrospectively identified hospital outbreak in Jordan to the most recent outbreak in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia have occurred. MERS has also crossed many oceans, entering multiple nations in eight waves between 2012 and 2015. In this paper, the spatiotemporal history of MERS cases, as documented epidemiologically, was examined by Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Distribution of sequences into geographic clusters and interleaving of MERS-CoV sequences from camels among those isolated from humans indicated that multiple zoonotic introductions occurred in endemic nations. We also report a summary of basic reproduction numbers for MERS-CoV in humans and camels.ConclusionTogether, these analyses can help us identify factors associated with viral evolution and spread as well as establish efficacy of infection control measures. The results are especially pertinent to countries without current MERS-CoV endemic, since their unfamiliarity makes them particularly susceptible to uncontrollable spread of a virus that may be imported by travelers.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41256-016-0014-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Camel exposure and knowledge about MERS-CoV among Australian Hajj pilgrims in 2014

Cited by 13 publications

References 16 publications

Public response to MERS-CoV in the Middle East: iPhone survey in six countries

Public response to MERS-CoV in the Middle East: iPhone survey in six countries

Australian Quarantine Policy: From Centralization to Coordination with Mid‐Pandemic COVID‐19 Shifts

The global spread of Middle East respiratory syndrome: an analysis fusing traditional epidemiological tracing and molecular phylodynamics

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