Human infection with MERS coronavirus after exposure to infected camels, Saudi Arabia, 2013

Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 Jun;20(6):1012-5. doi: 10.3201/eid2006.140402.

Abstract

We investigated a case of human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) after exposure to infected camels. Analysis of the whole human-derived virus and 15% of the camel-derived virus sequence yielded nucleotide polymorphism signatures suggestive of cross-species transmission. Camels may act as a direct source of human MERS-CoV infection.

Keywords: MERS; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Saudi Arabia; coronavirus; dromedary camels; respiratory infections; viruses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Camelus / virology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / classification
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / genetics*
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus / isolation & purification