High Prevalence of MERS-CoV Infection in Camel Workers in Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT: Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a highly lethal respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (MERS-CoV), is an emerging disease with high potential for epidemic spread. It has been listed by the WHO and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) as an important target for vaccine development. While initially the majority of MERS cases were hospital acquired, continued emergence of MERS is attributed to community acquisition, with camels likely being the direct or indirect source. However, the majority of patients do not describe camel exposure, making the route of transmission unclear. Here, using sensitive immunological assays and a cohort of camel workers (CWs) with well-documented camel exposure, we show that approximately 50% of camel workers (CWs) in the

SUBMITTER: Alshukairi AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6212820 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature