MERS-CoV Infection

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging pathogen associated with severe respiratory symptoms and renal failure in infected persons and mild-to-subclinical infection in dromedary camels. MERS-CoV causes nowell-defined disease in camels and its impact of MERS-CoV on animal health is exceptionally low. However, due to its zoonotic potentiality the OIE recently decided to consider MERS-CoV infection in camels as an enlisted disease, published a case definition to report the disease, and plan to include it in the terrestrial manual. The causative virus belongs to the genus Betacoronavirus of the family Coronaviridae. The main source of the virus is respiratory secretions of an infected dromedary camel. Infection results in virus shedding fora limited period and reinfection has been shown to occur. MERS-CoV is mostly a subclinical infection but can induce clinical signs in some of the affected camels consisting of fever, nasal discharge, and lacrimation observed in both field cases and experimentally infected camels. No vaccine or specific treatment for MERS is currently available for animals as well as humans; however, supportive treatment is based on the clinical condition of the patient. General hygienic measures should be practiced before visiting farms, barns, or other places where dromedary camels and other animals are present. OIE Member Countries are obliged to report a confirmed case of MERS-CoV in animals to the OIE, as an “emerging disease” with zoonotic potential in accordance with Article 1.1.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code.