Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Seropositivity in Camel Handlers and Their Families, Pakistan

Emerg Infect Dis. 2019 Dec;25(12):2307-2309. doi: 10.3201/eid2512.191169.

Abstract

A high percentage of camel handlers in Saudi Arabia are seropositive for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. We found that 12/100 camel handlers and their family members in Pakistan, a country with extensive camel MERS-CoV infection, were seropositive, indicating that MERS-CoV infection of these populations extends beyond the Arabian Peninsula.

Keywords: MERS-CoV; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Pakistan; camel handlers; coronavirus; pneumonia; respiratory infections; viruses; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Camelus*
  • Child
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / immunology
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology*
  • Family*
  • Farmers*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus* / immunology
  • Pakistan / epidemiology
  • Public Health Surveillance
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Young Adult