Mers coronavirus: Dromedary camels could be source

Max Rockatansky · Aug 9, 2013

The virus is deadly, but if camels were the source, it explains why we didn't see much of it around the USA. If it mutates into something that is as easily transmittable between humans, that could be a problem.

Mers coronavirus: Dromedary camels could be source

Dromedary camels could be responsible for passing to humans the deadly Mers coronavirus that emerged last year, research suggests.

Tests have shown the Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus, or one that is very closely related, has been circulating in the animals, offering a potential route for the spread.

The study is published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

But the scientists say more research is needed to confirm the findings.

The Mers coronavirus first emerged in the Middle East last year. So far, there have been 94 confirmed cases and 46 deaths.

While there has been evidence of the virus spreading between humans, most case are thought to have been caused by contact with an animal. But until now, scientists have struggled to work out which one......
Click to expand...

Abu Sina · Aug 10, 2013

Max Rockatansky said: ↑

The virus is deadly, but if camels were the source, it explains why we didn't see much of it around the USA. If it mutates into something that is as easily transmittable between humans, that could be a problem.

Mers coronavirus: Dromedary camels could be source
Click to expand...

don't worry it will soon turn up in USA after the Saudis kissing the mouths of their camels and then transfer it to you via kissing your asses

wgabrie · Aug 10, 2013

Wow, I would never have thought that camels would be a disease vector. Not like say chickens, cows, or pigs. Oh, but the warning signs were always there: camels and humans work together, for 1000s of years yet, so viruses are likely to jump species. I guess we're about to get a new zoo at the animal disease research labs.

Max Rockatansky · Aug 10, 2013

wgabrie said: ↑

Wow, I would never have thought that camels would be a disease vector. Not like say chickens, cows, or pigs. Oh, but the warning signs were always there: camels and humans work together, for 1000s of years yet, so viruses are likely to jump species. I guess we're about to get a new zoo at the animal disease research labs.
Click to expand...

They are really nasty critters too. It's not like they receive a lot of baths or any medical care either.

- - - Updated - - -

Abu Sina said: ↑

don't worry it will soon turn up in USA after the Saudis kissing the mouths of their camels and then transfer it to you via kissing your asses
Click to expand...

LOL. I hope to live to see the day when the world won't depend on oil for energy. On that day, the Saudis will be peddling sand for playboxes.

waltky · Aug 23, 2013

Mers coronavirus has been isolated in a bat in Saudi Arabia...

Mers: Deadly coronavirus found in tomb bat
22 August 2013 > The deadly Mers coronavirus has been isolated in a bat in Saudi Arabia, scientists report.

The virus was detected in a faecal sample taken from an Egyptian tomb bat, collected close to the home of the first known Mers victim. The research is published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. But while scientists found a genetic match, they think it is unlikely that bats are responsible for passing the virus to humans. Instead they think the virus is spreading from the winged mammals to other animals before it is reaching people. Another piece of research was recently published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, which suggested that this intermediary animal could be the dromedary camel. However, only antibodies - the proteins produced to fight infections - were detected in camels, rather than the virus itself, and more work needs to be done to confirm this finding.

'Identical sequence'

The Mers coronavirus first emerged in the Middle East last year. So far, there have been 94 confirmed cases and 47 deaths. While the virus has been spreading between humans, most cases are thought to have been caused by contact with an animal. But scientists have struggled to work out which one. In October 2012 and April 2013, researchers collected samples taken from different bat species found close to the home of the first known victim of Mers. These were sent to Columbia University in New York. However, the first batch was opened at US customs, and thawed to room temperature. The April batch arrived intact. Of the 1,000 samples collected, only one taken from the Egyptian tomb bat contained any signs of the virus. Dr Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity from Columbia University and a co-author of the study, said: "In this case we have a virus in an animal that is identical in sequence to the virus found in the first human case."

Narrowing hunt

The finding suggests that bats could be the origin of the disease, but scientists are looking for another animal that is involved in its spread. Samples taken from camels, sheep, goats and cattle are now being analysed. Commenting on the research, Prof Jonathan Ball, a virologist from the University of Nottingham, said: "We have long suspected that bats are likely to be the original source of Mers. They've been around for millions of years and have picked up a lot of viruses on the way - bats are a source of lots of human virus infections, like Ebola, henipahvirus, rabies and Sars. "But there are still some crucial unknowns. They sequenced a very small part of the virus genome - and a highly conserved part at that. We would need to see more extensive analysis involving other more variable genes before we can definitively say the viruses are related.

The sample was found in a faecal sample taken from an Egyptian tomb bat

"Even if this proves to be the case, bats are unlikely to be the source of the continuing Mers outbreaks. Humans and bats just don't interact very much. It's much more likely that an intermediate animal is involved - and finding out what this animal is is key if we are to eradicate this virus before it becomes a bigger problem." Prof Ian Jones from the University of Reading added: "The surprising overall message is that the bats of (Saudi Arabia) are not awash in the virus, quite the opposite as only one example was found and that appeared to be incomplete. "The main reservoir for this virus and how it gets to infect people remains unclear at this stage."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23793649
Click to expand...

See also:

Fast moving snails spread deadly dog disease across UK
22 August 2013 > Despite their lethargic reputations, snails can travel at a relatively speedy one metre per hour, say researchers.

By attaching multicoloured LED lights, the scientists were able to track their movements over a 24-hour period. The gastropods were fast enough to explore the length of an average UK garden in a single night. But scientists are worried that the fast moving snails are spreading a parasite that is deadly for dogs. Over the past few years the wet summers enjoyed across the UK have proved the ideal breeding grounds for snails. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, their numbers increased by 50% last year. As well as being a pest for gardeners, snails can also spread a parasite called Angiostrongylus vasorum. This lungworm is a particular threat to dogs, which can become infected by accidentally eating slugs or snails which they come across in the garden or on dog toys.

Painted snails

To assess the scale of the threat, researchers at the University of Exeter decided to track the movements of snails in garden situations. To do this they attached tiny, multicoloured LED lights to the backs of some 450 snails and used UV paint to track their movements. The researchers found that the snails could cover distances up to 25 metres in a 24-hour period. "They are so slow that people don't even think about them moving, but it turns out they do, and they can go a long way in a night," said Dr Dave Hodgson, who lead this study and was also involved in a BBC amateur science experiment in 2010 that sought to discover if snails had a homing instinct.

The lungworm parasite can be fatal in dogs and researchers say it is spreading across the UK

The researchers say their new work indicates that snails pose a growing threat to pets. "They are not just lettuce munchers, they are carriers of parasites that can kill your dogs," said Dr Hodgson, A recent survey of veterinary surgeons indicated that the lungworm parasite was now endemic across the UK, where once it was mainly found in the south. "It is becoming a real problem not just in the south of England, it is moving north to Scotland," said Dr Hodgson. "It is a national problem and we all have to pay attention to the interactions between dogs and snails," he said.

Happy trails

In the new work, the scientists were surprised to see so many snails followed the slimy trails laid by others. Dr Hodgson says it is all about conserving energy. "We know that snails use about 40% of their energy budget producing slime. "Given a chance, a snail will prefer to follow a trail that has been laid by another, it is a form of cheating like slipstreaming," he said. As to what pet owners should do, the scientists suggested they should regularly check the nooks and crannies in their gardens for snails and try to reduce exposure to the species. "I wouldn't be too happy suggesting that there should be a snail apocalypse and everyone should get rid of them," said Dr Hodgson. "I think awareness is a better idea, people need to understand the wildlife in their gardens and that no organism is totally harmless."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23798012
Click to expand...

Max Rockatansky · Aug 28, 2013

All sound like nasty critters.

This is the first time I've heard of the dog parasite problem. Thanks for the information.

waltky · Apr 15, 2014

MERS running rampant in Mid-east...

Deadly Virus Surges Through Gulf States
April 14, 2014: WASHINGTON Saudi Arabia says a deadly virus is rippling through the kingdom as additional cases were reported over the weekend in the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, have been seen at two major hospitals in the port city of Jeddah. Saudi health authorities are embarking on a variety of measures to prevent further spread of the 18-month-long outbreak. We have detected 11 cases of (the virus) in Jeddah, said Dr. Abdul Salam Noorwali, director-general of health in the Makkah region, told Arab News last week. Two of the patients have died, while six others have been cured and three cases are under medication, he said. Three of the patients in Jeddah were health workers, including one of the two who died, prompting authorities to temporarily shut down the emergency ward at the city's King Fahd Hospital, the kingdom's English-language daily reported.

Sami BaDawood, Jeddahs health affairs director, told Arab News that the emergency department was closed for disinfection after one health worker there tested positive for the virus and subsequent tests on other staff members showed further infections. Some patients were transferred to other hospitals while the disinfection was carried out, he said. The latest figures bring to at least 179 the number of cases of MERS in Saudi Arabia since the virus first appeared in the kingdom in September 2012. Makkah Governor Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah met with the director-general of health and urged precautionary measures to combat the disease at hospitals and other health facilities, Arab News reported. We have to adopt health measures to ensure the safety of citizens and residents from the virus and educate the public on how to protect themselves from MERS, the English daily quoted him as telling health officials in the region.

Most people infected with MERS develop severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The MERS virus is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died. The World Health Organization said at the end of March there were 206 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS infection worldwide, of which 86 had been fatal. In April, WHO says, 15 more cases were confirmed in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. "Basically what MERS does at the end of the day is shutting down the lungs and cause the other organs to fail," Gregory Hartl, a WHO spokesperson in Geneva told VOA. "It is spreads from person to person with great difficulty and that is how it is different from SARS," Hartl said. "What we really need doctors to do if they see unusual respiratory illness comes to them in other parts of the world is to be aware that MERS has occurred and they should test for that virus."

Experts are still struggling to understand the disease, for which there is no known vaccine. We dont know for certain where the virus came from, said Jason McDonald, spokesperson for U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC). However, it likely came from an animal source. MERS has been found in camels in Qatar and a bat in Saudi Arabia. Camels in a few neighboring countries have also tested positive for antibodies to MERS, indicating they were previously infected with MERS or a closely related virus. More information is needed to identify the possible role that camels, bats, and other animals may play in the transmission of MERS.

That is why the CDC is closely monitoring the MERS situation and working with World Health Organization and other partners to understand the risks of this virus. The CDC says it recognizes the potential for the virus to spread further and cause more cases and clusters globally, including in the United States. As part of routine public health preparedness in the United States, CDC is providing MERS testing kits to state health departments across the U.S. and continues to provide advice and laboratory diagnostic support to countries in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding region. McDonald said. According to CDC, cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Tunisia as well as in several countries in Europe.

http://www.voanews.com/content/deadly-virus-surges-through-arab-gulf/1892934.html
Click to expand...

waltky · Apr 22, 2014

MERS causes shuffling of Saudi cabinet...

Saudi Arabia Replaces Health Minister Amid MERS Fears
April 21, 2014 Saudi Arabian King Abdullah removed Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah from his post on Monday as the kingdom grapples with a worrying surge of new cases of the SARS-like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). His duties will be taken over by Labor Minister Adel Fakieh, who keeps his current post, state television reported.

The television channel cited the king's royal decree in its report but gave no reason for the switch. Rabeeah, who on Sunday told a televised news conference there was no medical reason to impose stricter preventative measures against the spread of MERS, has been made an adviser to the Royal Court, the decree said.

Saudi Arabia has reported 244 cases of MERS since the disease was identified in 2012, of which 79 have been fatal. The spread of new infections slowed during the winter, but there has been a sudden increase in cases this month.

Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah gestures during a news conference in Riyadh

The 49 confirmed infections announced over the past week, mostly in the port city of Jeddah, represent a four-fold increase in the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak began. The authorities have at times struggled to counter swirling rumors on social media that they have not been transparent about how far the disease has spread and how effective are the preventative measures taken in hospitals.

Last week the cabinet told Saudi news outlets to report only those cases that had been officially confirmed in laboratory tests by the Health Ministry. On Sunday, Rabeeah said he thought the sudden spurt of new cases in Jeddah might have a seasonal cause, given there was also an uptick in infections about a year ago, but added that he had "no idea" why that might be.

http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-...h-minister-amid-mers-virus-fears/1898204.html
Click to expand...

waltky · Apr 26, 2014

MERS spreads to Egypt...

Egypt Reports First Case of MERS Virus
April 26, 2014 ~ Egyptian authorities have detected the country's first case of the deadly SARS-like virus called the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.

Egypt's state-run news says a 27-year-old Egyptian who recently traveled to Saudi Arabia tested positive for the disease Saturday morning. Doctors are treating him at Cairo hospital. The virus has hit Saudi Arabia particularly hard. Saudi Arabia's health ministry says 92 people have died and 313 have contracted the virus in the country since September 2012.

Doctor Amr Kandeel, chief of Egypt's Health Ministry Preventative Sector, had warned just days ago of the probability for a MERS outbreak in Egypt, given the frequent travel by Egyptians to Saudi Arabia's religious sites. He also noted the virus is present is some Egyptian camels.

The disease is believed to have crossed over to humans from camels. MERS belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses that includes SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which in 2003 killed some 800 people in a global outbreak. There is no vaccine or treatment for the MERS virus, and doctors are not sure how it is transmitted.

http://www.voanews.com/content/egypt-discovers-first-case-of-mers-virus/1901962.html
Click to expand...

Jeannette · Apr 27, 2014

Max Rockatansky said: ↑

They are really nasty critters too. It's not like they receive a lot of baths or any medical care either.

- - - Updated - - -

LOL. I hope to live to see the day when the world won't depend on oil for energy. On that day, the Saudis will be peddling sand for playboxes.
Click to expand...

By then they'll own the world. Oh that's right, they own it now. :

waltky · May 8, 2014

Another 18 MERS cases turns up in Saudi Arabia...

Saudi Arabia finds another 18 MERS cases as disease spreads
Thu May 8, 2014 - Saudi Arabia has identified 18 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), it said late on Wednesday, pushing the total number of infections in the country so far to 449.

Four people died from the disease on Wednesday, taking the total death toll in Saudi Arabia to 121 since MERS, a form of coronavirus, was identified two years ago, the Health Ministry said in a statement on its website. The rate of infection in Saudi Arabia has surged in recent weeks after big outbreaks associated with hospitals in Jeddah and Riyadh. The total number of infections nearly doubled in April and has risen by a further 21 percent already in May.

The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday the hospital outbreaks had been partly due to "breaches" in recommended infection prevention and control measures, but added that there was no evidence of a change in the virus's ability to spread. Scientists around the world have been searching for the animal source, or reservoir, of MERS virus infections ever since the first human cases were confirmed in September 2012. In humans, MERS cause coughing, fever and pneumonia. Cases have so far been reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Oman, Tunisia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Britain.

Eight of the new cases were in Jeddah, five in the capital Riyadh, one in Najran. There were three new cases in Medina and one in Mecca, two cities that receive large influxes of Muslim pilgrims from around the country and overseas. Half of them were in contact with people who had previously been diagnosed as having MERS, the ministry said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014...3Q02F20140508?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
Click to expand...

waltky · May 13, 2014

2nd case of MERS in the US...

Saudi Arabia reports 5 more deaths from MERS
13 May`14 Another five people in Saudi Arabia have died after contracting a potentially fatal Middle Eastern respiratory virus that has sickened hundreds in the kingdom, according to health officials.

The Saudi Health Ministry provided the death toll in its latest update on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome on Monday evening, saying that the deaths occurs in the capital Riyadh and the western cities of Jiddah and Medina. Two of those who died were among eight new confirmed infections in the three cities, while the other three had been previously diagnosed.

A total of 147 people have died and 491 have been confirmed to have contracted the virus in Saudi Arabia since it was discovered in 2012. Most cases of the disease have been in the desert kingdom. American health officials this week confirmed a second U.S. case of MERS. The virus was confirmed in a resident of Saudi Arabia who was visiting Florida. He is being treated in an Orlando hospital. An earlier, unlinked U.S. patient diagnosed with MERS was released from an Indiana hospital late last week.

MERS is part of the coronavirus family of viruses, which includes the common cold and SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which killed some 800 people in a global outbreak in 2003. MERS can cause symptoms including fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure. Scientists believe camels likely play a role in initial infections. The disease can then spread between people, but typically only when they are in close contact with one another, such as with infected patients and health-care workers.

http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-reports-5-more-deaths-mers-160344242.html
Click to expand...

Max Rockatansky · Aug 9, 2014

Those who grew up in the 70s recall how all the concern was about herpes, "The Love Bug", but then came AIDS and a few canker sores didn't quite measure up.

Now we had concern about MERS and then Ebola comes into the scene.

waltky · Nov 12, 2015

Dat's why Uncle Ferd always wears a copper bracelet...

Copper can help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses
Nov. 10, 2015 - Coronavirus is rapidly inactivated when exposed to copper, as opposed to other surface materials where it can survive for days and infect people.

Coronavirus dies quickly when exposed to copper, unlike other surface materials such as glass, tile and stainless steel where it can survive for days, researchers at the University of Southampton found in a new study. Limiting the spread of respiratory viruses such as human coronavirus, or those that spread from animals such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, is difficult because of how infectious they are, researchers said. Cutting the time viruses can survive on surfaces would help.

Researchers inactivate human coronavirus on copper.

The same researchers in the new study have shown in previous studies that copper can kill norovirus, influenza and MRSA, making the use of copper alloy in hospital and medical labs seem like a good idea. "Transmission of infectious diseases via contaminated surfaces is far more important than was originally thought, and this includes viruses that cause respiratory infections," Dr. Sarah Warnes, a Southampton researcher, said in a press release. "This is especially important when the infectious dose is low and just a few virus particles can initiate an infection."

Warnes and Professor Bill Keevil, chairman of Environmental Healthcare at the university, tested human coronavirus 229E, which is similar to SARS and MERS, on several surfaces. On most surfaces -- including ceramic, tile, glass, rubber and stainless steel -- 229E survived for at least five days, however was rapidly destroyed irreversibly on copper surfaces. "The rapid inactivation and irreversible destruction of the virus observed on copper and copper alloy surfaces suggests that the incorporation of copper alloy surfaces -- in conjunction with effective cleaning regimes and good clinical practice -- could help control transmission of these viruses," Keevil said. The study is published in mBio.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2015...spiratory-viruses/1441447185273/?spt=slh&or=7
Click to expand...

Log in or Sign up

Mers coronavirus: Dromedary camels could be source

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

Abu Sina New Member

wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

Jeannette Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

Mers coronavirus: Dromedary camels could be source

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

Abu Sina New Member

wgabrie Well-Known Member Donor

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

Jeannette Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

waltky Well-Known Member

Max Rockatansky Well-Known Member Past Donor

waltky Well-Known Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches