Lack of detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in mild and severe respiratory infections in Catalonia, northeastern Spain

M J Martínez; M A Marcos; V Gonzalo; Y Zboromyrska; R Isanta; N Torner; A Martinez; M Jané; A Mateu; J Vila

doi:10.1002/2052-2975.34

Lack of detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in mild and severe respiratory infections in Catalonia, northeastern Spain

New Microbes New Infect. 2014 Jan;2(1):27-8. doi: 10.1002/2052-2975.34. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Authors

M J Martínez¹, M A Marcos¹, V Gonzalo¹, Y Zboromyrska¹, R Isanta¹, N Torner², A Martinez², M Jané², A Mateu², J Vila¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research Barcelona, Spain.
² Generalitat of Catalonia, Public Health Agency of Catalonia Barcelona, Spain.

Abstract

Surveillance of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was conducted to explore the possible introduction and circulation of this novel virus in Catalonia, northeastern Spain. Five hundred and sixty-three samples from mild and severe respiratory infections collected between January 2012 and April 2013 were screened using real-time RT-PCR. All samples were negative, suggesting that MERS-CoV is not circulating silently in Catalonia.

Keywords: MERS-CoV; northeastern Spain; respiratory infections.