MERS comes to Malaysia
You may have come across these recent news reports:
First there was a fatality
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has killed its first victim in Asia, a Malaysian man who developed respiratory complications after returning from Mecca.
The 54-year-old man, from Batu Pahat, Johor, had arrived in Malaysia on March 29 after performing the umrah.
He died on Apr 13 after being admitted to the Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail for three days, following complaints of fever, cough and breathing difficulties.
Passengers onboard the Turkish Airlines flights TK93 and TK60 on the Jeddah-Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur route ...
Source: Malaysian Medical Resources - April 17, 2014 Category: Global & Universal Authors: palmdoc Tags: Miscellaneous MERS SARS Source Type: blogs
MERS-coronavirus in dromedary camels
Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), first identified in the fall of 2012 in a Saudi Arabian patient, has since infected over 180 individuals, causing 77 deaths. Antibodies to the virus and the viral genome have been found in dromedary camels in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, implicating those animals as the source of human infections. A new study reveals that the virus has infected camels throughout Saudi Arabia since at least 1992.
Serum, blood, and rectal and nasal swabs were collected from dromedary camels in November-December 2013 from southwestern, western, northwestern, eastern, and central reg...
Source: virology blog - February 26, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information dromedary camel Kingdom of Saudi Arabia MERS coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome viral Source Type: blogs
MERS-CoV genome found in dromedary camels
Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), first identified in the fall of 2012 in a Saudi Arabian patient, has since infected over 160 individuals, causing 71 deaths. Identifying the source of infection is important for efforts to prevent further infections. Recently two studies revealed the presence of antibodies to the virus in dromedary camels in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, two countries where large clusters of infections have occurred. Detection of the viral RNA genome in clinical specimens by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) now provides additional evidence that MERS-CoV can infect camels.
Samples were ...
Source: virology blog - December 17, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information chain of transmission coronavirus dromedary camel MERS-CoV Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome PCR viral zoonosis Source Type: blogs
Bat SARS-like coronavirus that infects human cells
The SARS pandemic of 2002-2003 is believed to have been caused by a bat coronavirus (CoV) that first infected a civet and then was passed on to humans. The isolation of a new SARS-like coronavirus from bats suggests that the virus could have directly infected humans.
A single colony of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus sinicus) in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, was sampled for CoV sequences over a one year period. Of a total of 117 anal swabs or fecal samples collected, 27 (23%) were positive for CoV sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Seven different SARS-like CoV sequences were identified, including two new ones....
Source: virology blog - October 30, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Uncategorized coronavirus CoV horseshoe bat MERS-CoV SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome viral virology zoonosis Source Type: blogs
TWiV 247: Today’s weather in virology
On episode #247 of the science show This Week in Virology, Ian Lipkin joins Vincent, Alan, Rich, and Kathy to describe how his laboratory is searching for the origin of MERS-coronavirus.
You can find TWiV #247 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - August 26, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology bat coronavirus Egyptian tomb bat email ian lipkin listener questions MERS-CoV Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome Saudi Arabia Taphozous perforatus viral Source Type: blogs
Part of MERS-CoV nucleotide sequence found in a bat
What is wrong with this paragraph from today’s New York Times that describes the origin of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus:
Health officials confirmed Wednesday that bats in Saudi Arabia were the source of the mysterious virus that has sickened 96 people in the Middle East, killing 47 of them.
Here is the science behind that statement, which has been published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Samples (fecal, fecal swab, throat swab, blood) were collected from bats in an area of Saudi Arabia where human infections with MERS-CoV have been identified. Total nucleic acids were extracted and analyz...
Source: virology blog - August 22, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information bat coronavirus MERS-CoV respiratory syndrome Saudi Arabia Taphozous perforatus viral Source Type: blogs
Part of MERS-CoV nucleotide sequence found in a bat
What is wrong with this paragraph from today’s New York Times that describes the origin of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus:
Health officials confirmed Wednesday that bats in Saudi Arabia were the source of the mysterious virus that has sickened 96 people in the Middle East, killing 47 of them.
Here is the science behind that statement, which has been published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Samples (fecal, fecal swab, throat swab, blood) were collected from bats in an area of Saudi Arabia where human infections with MERS-CoV have been identified. Total nucleic acids were extracted and analyz...
Source: virology blog - August 22, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information bat coronavirus MERS-CoV respiratory syndrome Saudi Arabia Taphozous perforatus viral Source Type: blogs
Deadly MERS Virus Discovered in Egyptian Tomb Bat in Saudi Arabia
The deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus has been discovered in an Egyptian Tomb Bat in Saudi Arabia. Experts have been trying to track the source of the mysterious MERS outbreak since it was first discovered in September 2012. 70 of the nearly 100 cases have been in Saudi Arabia. The novel coronavirus has killed 47 people so far.
Over a six-week period during field expeditions in October 2012 and April 2013, the researchers collected more than 1,000 samples from seven bat species in regions where cases of MERS were identified. Analysis was performed using polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. One ...
Source: HealthNewsBlog.com - August 22, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: bats mers Source Type: blogs
TWiV 239 – Filterable camels
On episode #239 of the science show This Week in Virology, Matt joins Vincent, Alan, and Rich to summarize what we know and what we do not know about the MERS coronavirus.
You can find TWiV #239 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - July 1, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology bat camel MERS-CoV Middle East coronavirus pneumonia respiratory infection SARS viral zoonosis Source Type: blogs
MERS-CoV Cases Increase to 70 with 39 Fatalities
The number of MERS-CoV cases - the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus - have increased to 70. There have been a total of 39 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has received lab-confirmed cases of MERS in the following countries: Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom have reported cases, but these cases involved people who had been traveling in the Middle East.
A recent report said MERS spreads easier and is deadlier than SARS. This may turn out to be true, but it is also possible there are infected people with no sy...
Source: HealthNewsBlog.com - June 25, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: mers Source Type: blogs
New MedlinePlus Health Topic: Coronavirus Infections
MedlinePlus has created a new health topic page on Coronavirus Infections, including information on the novel Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS). Access news and other resources here: http://1.usa.gov/11PEvUa (Source: BHIC)
Source: BHIC - June 15, 2013 Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Kate Flewelling Tags: Emergency Preparedness Public Health Source Type: blogs
MERS Emergency
The U.S. government has declared Middle East Respiratory Syndrome an emergency. This isn’t a call for panic, but it should make us all think.Contributor: Mary Bodel MHPublished: Jun 08, 2013 (Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content)
Source: Most Recent Health Wellness - Associated Content - June 8, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Source Type: blogs
MERS Death Toll Climbs to 30 After Three More Deaths Reported in Saudi Arabia
Middle East Respiratory Symptom Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) continues to spread slowly in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has reported 3 more deaths from the SARS-like respiratory virus. The virus has now sickened at least 49 people and killed 30.
UPI reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) reported cases in healthcare workers, which is not a good sign because it indicates the virus is capable of spreading from human to human.
A Forbes story reports that MERS may have a longer incubation period than experts previously thought. The incubation was initially thought to be 1 to 9 days and now they think it may be as long a...
Source: HealthNewsBlog.com - May 30, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: disease mers saudi-arabia Source Type: blogs
TWiV 233: We’re surrounded
On episode #233 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent, Rich, Alan and Kathy review aerosol transmission studies of influenza H1N1 x H5N1 reassortants, H7N9 infections in China, and the MERS coronavirus.
You can find TWiV #233 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - May 19, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology aerosol transmission avian influenza CoV-MERS gain of function guinea pig H1N1 H5N1 h7n9 MERS coronavirus Middle East coronavirus reassortants respiratory infection TWiV viral virulence Source Type: blogs
