Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): A review

Abstract

As a novel coronavirus first reported by Saudi Arabia in 2012, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is responsible for an acute human respiratory syndrome. The virus, of 2C beta-CoV lineage, expresses the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) receptor and is densely endemic in dromedary camels of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. MERS-CoV is zoonotic but human-to-human transmission is also possible. Surveillance and phylogenetic researches indicate MERS-CoV to be closely associated with bats' coronaviruses, suggesting bats as reservoirs, although unconfirmed. With no vaccine currently available for MERS-CoV nor approved prophylactics, its global spread to over 25 countries with high fatalities highlights its role as ongoing public health threat. An articulated action plan ought to be taken, preferably from a One Health perspective, for appropriately advanced countermeasures against MERS-CoV.

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Built Environment Considerations To Reduce Transmission

“…Approximately 10 years after SARS, another novel, highly pathogenic CoV, known as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), emerged and is also believed to have originated from bats, with camels as the reservoir host (6). MERS-CoV was first characterized in the Arabian Peninsula and spread to 27 countries, having a 35.6% mortality rate in 2,220 cases (7).…”

Novel coronavirus: From discovery to clinical diagnostics

“…The frequent interactions of wild animals with humans make them a common source of zoonotic infections. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are zoonotic pathogens that can cause severe respiratory diseases in humans (Luk et al, 2019;Ramadan and Shaib, 2019).…”

Zoonotic implications of camel diseases in Iran

“…MERS-CoV is a novel coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory disease. First reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 (Gonzalez Gompf, 2015), the disease has been described primarily in countries of the (Ramadan & Shaib, 2019). MERS-CoV has been found in many dromedary camels (Mackay & Arden, 2015) and is enzootic in camels across the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa, causing mild upper respiratory tract disease in its camel host.…”