Abstract
Dromedary camels are the natural reservoirs of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Camels are mostly bred in East African countries then exported into Africa and Middle East for consumption. To understand the distribution of MERS-CoV among camels in North Africa and the Middle East, we conducted surveillance in Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. We also performed longitudinal studies of three camel herds in Egypt and Jordan to elucidate MERS-CoV infection and transmission. Between 2016 and 2018, a total of 4027 nasal swabs and 3267 serum samples were collected from all countries. Real- time PCR revealed that MERS-CoV RNA was detected in nasal swab samples from Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. Microneutralization assay showed that antibodies were detected in all countries. Positive PCR samples were partially sequenced, and a phylogenetic tree was built. The tree suggested that all sequences are of clade C and sequences from camels in Egypt formed a separate group from previously published sequences. Longitudinal studies showed high seroprevalence in adult camels. These results indicate the widespread distribution of the virus in camels. A systematic active surveillance and longitudinal studies for MERS-CoV are needed to understand the epidemiology of the disease and dynamics of viral infection.
Highlights
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first discovered in a patient suffering from acute pneumonia and renal failure on June 13, 2012 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) [1]
The overall seroprevalence of MERS-CoV antibodies in all collected sera (3821 samples) from the seven countries (Egypt, Uganda, Senegal, Tunisia, Jordan, KSA, and Iraq) as illustrated in Figure 1 was
This study confirms the extensive circulation of MERS-CoV within the dromedary camel population in Egypt and Tunisia (North Africa), Senegal (West Africa), Uganda (East Africa), Jordan
Summary
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first discovered in a patient suffering from acute pneumonia and renal failure on June 13, 2012 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) [1]. Serological and molecular studies suggested that the main zoonotic source for MERS-CoV is dromedary camels, but the main origin of the virus is still unclear [3,4,5]. Epidemiological and viral sequence data suggest that camels are the main source for virus transmission to humans [6,7]. Human to human transmission was recorded in clusters and outbreaks from the Arabian Peninsula and South Korea [8,9,10]. Dromedary camels are part of the heritage of millions of people in Egypt and other Middle
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