Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus: epidemic potential or a storm in a teacup?

Zumla, Alimuddin; Memish, Ziad A.

doi:10.1183/09031936.00227213

Cited by 25 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…8 The small number of cases and low risk of human-to-human transmission have not yet warranted the declaration of MERS-CoV as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. 9 Large increases in the numbers of MERS cases in Saudi Arabia in April-May, 2013, in Al-Hasa province, 10 and in Jeddah hospitals in April-May, 2014, 11 were related to nosocomial outbreaks, poor hospital infection control measures, and improved screening. By contrast with Ebola virus disease, only a small amount of human-tohuman transmission has been reported.…”

Section: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome In the Shadow Of Ebolamentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle East respiratory syndrome in the shadow of Ebola

Zumla

Perlman

McNabb

et al. 2015

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome In the Shadow Of Ebolamentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle East respiratory syndrome in the shadow of Ebola

Zumla

Perlman

McNabb

et al. 2015

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Extrapulmonary disease manifestations include circulatory, renal, hepatic and hematologic dysfunction. Gastrointestinal symptoms have been seen in 20-33% of cases (Assiri et al, 2013a;Mailles et al, 2013;Memish et al, 2013b;Zumla and Memish, 2014), manifesting as diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal symptoms were not seen at all in one family cluster (Omrani et al, 2013) nor among symptomatic children in another .…”

Section: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only on rare occasions have studies described upper respiratory tract (URT) signs and symptoms. In one example, approximately 15-25% of cases presented with rhinorrhoea and/or sore throat Memish et al, 2013b;Payne et al, 2014;Zumla and Memish, 2014). To date, MERS has been an opportunistic disease.…”

Section: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Animal contact with humans was defined in a summary of the first MERS cases as being direct and within 10 days prior to symptom onset (The WHO MERS-CoV Research Group, 2013). This definition made no specific allowance for acquisition through a droplet-based route, which is still assumed to be the most common route for acquisition of a virus that predominantly causes respiratory disease (Assiri et al, 2013a,b;Zumla and Memish, 2014). Providing some support for a droplet transmission route, one report identified viral RNA in an air sample collected in a barn housing an infected DC (Azhar et al, 2014b).…”

Section: Animal Origins and Route Of Acquisition Of The Mers-covmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The nature and quality of air exchange, circulation and filtration is an important variable in risk measurement and reduction. Droplet spread between humans is considered the mechanism of human-to-human transmission and the need for droplet precautions has been emphasised after the Al-Ahsa hospital outbreak Assiri et al, 2013a,b;Zumla and Memish, 2014). By extrapolation, aerosol-generating events involving camels (urination, defecation, and the processes of preparation and consumption of camel products) should be factored into risk measurement and reduction efforts and the need to define whether a more stringent level of personal protective equipment should be worn by HCWs and animal handlers remains a priority.…”

Section: Virus Survival In the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Middle East respiratory syndrome: An emerging coronavirus infection tracked by the crowd

Mackay

Arden

2015

Virus Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 2012 in Jordan, infection by a novel coronavirus (CoV) caused the first known cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). MERS-CoV sequences have since been found in a bat and the virus appears to be enzootic among dromedary camels across the Arabian Peninsula and in parts of Africa. The majority of human cases have occurred in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). In humans, the etiologic agent, MERS-CoV, has been detected in severe, mild and influenza-like illness and in those without any obvious signs or symptoms of disease. MERS is often a lower respiratory tract disease associated with fever, cough, breathing difficulties, pneumonia that can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan failure and death among more than a third of those infected. Severe disease is usually found in older males and comorbidities are frequently present in cases of MERS. Compared to SARS, MERS progresses more rapidly to respiratory failure and acute kidney injury, is more often observed as severe disease in patients with underlying illnesses and is more often fatal. MERS-CoV has a broader tropism than SARS-CoV, rapidly triggers cellular damage, employs a different receptor and induces a delayed proinflammatory response in cells. Most human cases have been linked to lapses in infection prevention and control in healthcare settings, with a fifth of virus detections reported among healthcare workers. This review sets out what is currently known about MERS and the MERS-CoV, summarises the new phenomenon of crowd-sourced epidemiology and lists some of the many questions that remain unanswered, nearly three years after the first reported case.

show abstract

A Review of Zoonotic Pathogens of Dromedary Camels

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dromedary, or one-humped, camels Camelus dromedarius are an almost exclusively domesticated species that are common in arid areas as both beasts of burden and production animals for meat and milk.Currently, there are approximately 30 million dromedary camels, with highest numbers in Africa and the Middle East. The hardiness of camels in arid regions has made humans more dependent on them, especially as a stable protein source. Camels also carry and may transmit disease-causing agents to humans and other animals. The ability for camels to act as a point source or vector for disease is a concern due to increasing human demands for meat, lack of biosafety and biosecurity protocols in many regions, and a growth in the interface with wildlife as camel herds become sympatric with non-domestic species. We conducted a literature review of camel-borne zoonotic diseases and found that the majority of publications (65%) focused on Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), brucellosis, Echinococcus granulosus, and Rift Valley fever. The high fatality from MERS outbreaks during 2012-2016 elicited an immediate response from the research community as demonstrated by a surge of MERS-related publications. However, we contend that other camel-borne diseases such as Yersinia pestis, Coxiella burnetii, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever are just as important to include in surveillance efforts. Camel populations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are increasing exponentially in response to prolonged droughts, and thus, the risk of zoonoses increases as well. In this review, we provide an overview of the major zoonotic diseases present in dromedary camels, their risk to humans, and recommendations to minimize spillover events.

show abstract

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus: epidemic potential or a storm in a teacup?

Cited by 25 publications

References 32 publications

Middle East respiratory syndrome in the shadow of Ebola

Middle East respiratory syndrome in the shadow of Ebola

Middle East respiratory syndrome: An emerging coronavirus infection tracked by the crowd

A Review of Zoonotic Pathogens of Dromedary Camels

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About