Unraveling the Mysteries of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

摘要

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERSCoV) is a novel CoV known to cause severe acute respiratory illness in humans; ≈40% of confirmed cases have been fatal. Human-to-human transmission and multiple outbreaks of respiratory illness have been attributed to MERS-CoV, and severe respiratory illness caused by this virus continues to be identified. MERS-CoV was first reported in September 2012, and subsequent investigations documented illness onsets as early as April 2012 (1). As of February 23, 2014, the World Health Organization has reported 182 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection, including 79 deaths, indicating an ongoing risk for transmission to humans in the Arabian Peninsula (2). The median age of reported case-patients is 52 years (range 2–94 years); most cases are in males (3). Most index casepatients have at least reported 1 chronic comorbid condition (4) and have resided in, or recently traveled to, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia (3). In France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and Tunisia confirmed cases of MERS-CoV have been identified in travelers returning from these countries (3). Although a zoonotic reservoir of MERS-CoV has been speculated, very little is known about the specific exposures that result in primary human cases.