tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2021 Jul;27(7):1964-1968.
doi: 10.3201/eid2707.204873.
Prevalence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus in Dromedary Camels, Tunisia
Simone Eckstein, Rosina Ehmann, Abderraouf Gritli, Houcine Ben Yahia, Manuel Diehl, Roman Wölfel, Mohamed Ben Rhaiem, Kilian Stoecker, Susann Handrick, Mohamed Ben Moussa
Abstract
Free-roaming camels, especially those crossing national borders, pose a high risk for spreading Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). To prevent outbreaks, active surveillance is necessary. We found that a high percentage of dromedaries in Tunisia are MERS-CoV seropositive (80.4%) or actively infected (19.8%), indicating extensive MERS-CoV circulation in Northern Africa.
Keywords: Camelus dromedarius; MERS-CoV; Middle East respiratory coronavirus; North Africa; Tunisia; dromedary camels; phylogenetic analyses; respiratory infections; seroprevalence; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2021 Jul;27(7):1964-1968.
doi: 10.3201/eid2707.204873.
Prevalence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus in Dromedary Camels, Tunisia
Simone Eckstein, Rosina Ehmann, Abderraouf Gritli, Houcine Ben Yahia, Manuel Diehl, Roman Wölfel, Mohamed Ben Rhaiem, Kilian Stoecker, Susann Handrick, Mohamed Ben Moussa
- PMID: 34152977
- DOI: 10.3201/eid2707.204873
Abstract
Free-roaming camels, especially those crossing national borders, pose a high risk for spreading Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). To prevent outbreaks, active surveillance is necessary. We found that a high percentage of dromedaries in Tunisia are MERS-CoV seropositive (80.4%) or actively infected (19.8%), indicating extensive MERS-CoV circulation in Northern Africa.
Keywords: Camelus dromedarius; MERS-CoV; Middle East respiratory coronavirus; North Africa; Tunisia; dromedary camels; phylogenetic analyses; respiratory infections; seroprevalence; viruses; zoonoses.