Abstract
Evidence of current and past Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in dromedary camels slaughtered at an abattoir in Kano, Nigeria in January 2015, was sought by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and serology. MERS-CoV RNA was detected in 14 (11%) of 132 nasal swabs and antibody in 126 (96%) of 131 serum samples. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that the viruses in Nigeria are genetically distinct from those reported in the Arabian peninsula.
Highlights
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV) is a novel lineage C betacoronavirus that can cause an acute viral respiratory disease in humans
Dromedary camels in the Middle East have a high seroprevalence for MERS-CoV and MERS-CoV RNA has been consistently detected in these animals, especially in settings such as camel abattoirs, where camels from multiple origins are assembled
We report detection rates of MERS-CoV in dromedary camels in the abattoir in Kano, Nigeria, where around 55 camels are slaughtered per day, making it the largest camel abattoir in that country
Summary
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV) is a novel lineage C betacoronavirus that can cause an acute viral respiratory disease in humans. Human disease is zoonotic in origin, clusters of human-to-human transmission have been reported, especially within healthcare or family settings [1]. Dromedary camels in the Middle East have a high seroprevalence for MERS-CoV and MERS-CoV RNA has been consistently detected in these animals, especially in settings such as camel abattoirs, where camels from multiple origins are assembled. More than 60% of the global population of dromedary camels is distributed in African countries. MERS-CoV antibodies were found with high prevalence in dromedary camels in these African countries with positive rates higher than 80% for the animals in Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sudan, and of 30 to 54% in Tunisia [8]. Zoonotic human disease has so far been reported only from countries in the Middle-East. The reason for the absence of zoonotic disease in Africa is unclear
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