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Cross-sectional study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and antibodies in animals that have had contact with MERS patients in Saudi Arabia.
J Infect Public Health. 2018 May - Jun; 11(3):331-338.JI

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a newly emerged coronavirus that is associated with a severe respiratory disease in humans in the Middle East. The epidemiological profiles of the MERS-CoV infections suggest zoonotic transmission from an animal reservoir to humans.

METHODS

This study was designed to investigate animal herds associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-infected patients in Saudi Arabia, during the last three years (2014-2016). Nasal swabs and serum samples from 584 dromedary camels, 39 sheep, 51 goats, and 2 cattle were collected. Nasal samples from camels, sheep, goats, and cattle were examined by real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to detect MERS-CoV RNA, and the Anti-MERS ELISA assay was performed to detect camel humeral immune response (IgG) to MERS-CoV S1 antigen infection. The complete genome sequencing of ten MERS-CoV camel isolates and phylogenetic analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The data indicated that seventy-five dromedary camels were positive for MERS-CoV RNA; the virus was not detected in sheep, goats, and cattle. MERS-CoV RNA from infected camels was not detected beyond 2 weeks after the first positive result was detected in nasal swabs obtained from infected camels. Anti-MERS ELISA assays showed that 70.9% of camels related to human cases had antibodies to MERS-CoV. The full genome sequences of the ten MERS-CoV camel isolates were identical to their corresponding patients and were grouped together within the larger MERS-CoV sequences cluster for human and camel isolates reported form the Arabian Peninsula.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that camels are a significant reservoir for the maintenance of MERS-CoVs, and they are an important source of human infection with MERS.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Kasem S
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia; Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, El Geish Street, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt. Electronic address: samy_kasem1976@yahoo.com.
Qasim I
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hufofi A
Department of Veterinary Laboratory, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Hashim O
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Alkarar A
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Abu-Obeida A
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Gaafer A
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Elfadil A
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Zaki A
Department of Veterinary Laboratory, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Romaihi A
Department of Veterinary Laboratory, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Babekr N
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
El-Harby N
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Hussien R
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Sahaf A
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Al-Doweriej A
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Bayoumi F
Department of Animal Resources, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, 65 King Abdulaziz Road, Riyadh 11195, Saudi Arabia.
Poon LLM
Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Chu DKW
Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Peiris M
Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Perera RAPM
Public Health Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

MeSH

AnimalsAntibodies, ViralCamelusCattleCoronavirus InfectionsCross-Sectional StudiesDisease ReservoirsEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayGoatsHumansImmunoglobulin GMaleMiddle AgedMiddle East Respiratory Syndrome CoronavirusPhylogenyRNA, ViralReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionSaudi ArabiaSheepWhole Genome SequencingZoonoses

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

28993171

Citation

Kasem, Samy, et al. "Cross-sectional Study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and Antibodies in Animals That Have Had Contact With MERS Patients in Saudi Arabia." Journal of Infection and Public Health, vol. 11, no. 3, 2018, pp. 331-338.
Kasem S, Qasim I, Al-Hufofi A, et al. Cross-sectional study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and antibodies in animals that have had contact with MERS patients in Saudi Arabia. J Infect Public Health. 2018;11(3):331-338.
Kasem, S., Qasim, I., Al-Hufofi, A., Hashim, O., Alkarar, A., Abu-Obeida, A., Gaafer, A., Elfadil, A., Zaki, A., Al-Romaihi, A., Babekr, N., El-Harby, N., Hussien, R., Al-Sahaf, A., Al-Doweriej, A., Bayoumi, F., Poon, L. L. M., Chu, D. K. W., Peiris, M., & Perera, R. A. P. M. (2018). Cross-sectional study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and antibodies in animals that have had contact with MERS patients in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Infection and Public Health, 11(3), 331-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2017.09.022
Kasem S, et al. Cross-sectional Study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and Antibodies in Animals That Have Had Contact With MERS Patients in Saudi Arabia. J Infect Public Health. 2018 May - Jun;11(3):331-338. PubMed PMID: 28993171.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Cross-sectional study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and antibodies in animals that have had contact with MERS patients in Saudi Arabia. AU - Kasem,Samy, AU - Qasim,Ibraheem, AU - Al-Hufofi,Ali, AU - Hashim,Osman, AU - Alkarar,Ali, AU - Abu-Obeida,Ali, AU - Gaafer,Albagir, AU - Elfadil,Abdelhamid, AU - Zaki,Ahmed, AU - Al-Romaihi,Ahmed, AU - Babekr,Nasereldeen, AU - El-Harby,Nadr, AU - Hussien,Raed, AU - Al-Sahaf,Ali, AU - Al-Doweriej,Ali, AU - Bayoumi,Faisal, AU - Poon,Leo L M, AU - Chu,Daniel K W, AU - Peiris,Malik, AU - Perera,Ranawaka A P M, Y1 - 2017/10/06/ PY - 2017/03/26/received PY - 2017/08/22/revised PY - 2017/09/09/accepted PY - 2017/10/11/pubmed PY - 2018/11/22/medline PY - 2017/10/11/entrez KW - Dromedary camel KW - ELISA KW - MERS KW - Real time-PCR KW - Saudi Arabia SP - 331 EP - 338 JF - Journal of infection and public health JO - J Infect Public Health VL - 11 IS - 3 N2 - BACKGROUND: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a newly emerged coronavirus that is associated with a severe respiratory disease in humans in the Middle East. The epidemiological profiles of the MERS-CoV infections suggest zoonotic transmission from an animal reservoir to humans. METHODS: This study was designed to investigate animal herds associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-infected patients in Saudi Arabia, during the last three years (2014-2016). Nasal swabs and serum samples from 584 dromedary camels, 39 sheep, 51 goats, and 2 cattle were collected. Nasal samples from camels, sheep, goats, and cattle were examined by real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to detect MERS-CoV RNA, and the Anti-MERS ELISA assay was performed to detect camel humeral immune response (IgG) to MERS-CoV S1 antigen infection. The complete genome sequencing of ten MERS-CoV camel isolates and phylogenetic analysis was performed. RESULTS: The data indicated that seventy-five dromedary camels were positive for MERS-CoV RNA; the virus was not detected in sheep, goats, and cattle. MERS-CoV RNA from infected camels was not detected beyond 2 weeks after the first positive result was detected in nasal swabs obtained from infected camels. Anti-MERS ELISA assays showed that 70.9% of camels related to human cases had antibodies to MERS-CoV. The full genome sequences of the ten MERS-CoV camel isolates were identical to their corresponding patients and were grouped together within the larger MERS-CoV sequences cluster for human and camel isolates reported form the Arabian Peninsula. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that camels are a significant reservoir for the maintenance of MERS-CoVs, and they are an important source of human infection with MERS. SN - 1876-035X UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/28993171/Cross_sectional_study_of_MERS_CoV_specific_RNA_and_antibodies_in_animals_that_have_had_contact_with_MERS_patients_in_Saudi_Arabia_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -