MERS-CoV, Qatar (OIE, April 22 2014): Camel w/ human replication ability virus detected in a farm

[Giuseppe]

[Source: OIE, full page: (LINK). Edited.]


MERS-CoV, Qatar


Information received on 22/04/2014 from Dr Kassem Nasser Al-Qahtani, Director of Dept of Animal resources, Ministry of Environment, Department of Animal resources, DOHA, Qatar

• Summary
  • Report type Follow-up report No. 2
  • Date of start of the event 14/10/2013
  • Date of pre-confirmation of the event 26/11/2013
  • Report date 22/04/2014
  • Date submitted to OIE 22/04/2014
  • Reason for notification Emerging disease
  • Morbidity 3.8 %
  • Mortality 0 %
  • Zoonotic impact Asymptomatic exposure of camel to MERS-CoV (laboratory advanced) and one outbreak in a specific zone (Shahanya)
  • Causal agent MERS-CoV
  • Related reports
    • Immediate notification (28/11/2013)
    • Follow-up report No. 1 (29/12/2013)
    • Follow-up report No. 2 (22/04/2014)
• New outbreaks (1)
  • Outbreak 1 - Al-Shahanya, AR RAYYAN
    • Date of start of the outbreak 11/02/2014
    • Outbreak status Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
    • Epidemiological unit Farm
    • Affected animals: Species ? Susceptible ? Cases ? Deaths ? Destroyed ? Slaughtered
      • Camelidae - 26 ? 1 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0
      • Affected population A single barn of 26 camels of different ages.
• Summary of outbreaks
  • Total outbreaks: 1
    • Total animals affected: Species ? Susceptible ? Cases ? Deaths ? Destroyed ? Slaughtered
      • Camelidae ? 26 ? 1 ? 0 ? 0 ? 0
    • Outbreak statistics: Species - Apparent morbidity rate - Apparent mortality rate - Apparent case fatality rate - Proportion susceptible animals lost*
      • Camelidae - 3.85% - 0.00% - 0.00% - 0.00%
      • *Removed from the susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter
• Epidemiology
  • Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection
    • Unknown or inconclusive
• Epidemiological comments
  • During an existing survey (pilot phase of the survey), nasal swabs were collected from an 8-month-old camel among healthy dromedary camels.
  • The sample was inoculated on Vero cells and cytopathic changes were observed in cells at 48h post-infection.
  • Human hepatoma cells (Huh-7 cells) were inoculated with MERS-CoV to further functionally characterize this viral isolate.
  • After two days, virus-induced cytopathic effects were observed in the inoculated cell cultures.
  • Virus production in Huh-7 cells was blocked by pre-incubating MERS-CoV with a 1/200 dilution of serum from MERS-CoV antibody positive camels.
  • Conclusion: these data demonstrate that the MERS-CoV obtained from a dromedary camel is able to replicate in human cells and uses DPP4 as entry receptor, similar as isolates obtained from MERS patients.
• Control measures
  • Measures applied
    • No vaccination
    • No treatment of affected animals
  • Measures to be applied
    • Quarantine
    • Movement control inside the country
    • Screening
• Diagnostic test results
  • Laboratory name and type ? Species ? Test - Test date ? Result
    • Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam (The Netherlands) (Foreign laboratory) ? Camelidae - real-time PCR - 19/04/2014 ? Positive
    • Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam (The Netherlands) (Foreign laboratory) ? Camelidae - virus isolation - 19/04/2014 ? Positive
• Future Reporting
  • The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

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[Shannon Bennett]

Re: MERS-CoV, Qatar (OIE, April 22 2014): Camel w/ human replication ability virus detected in a farm

One hopes a camel vaccine will be developed ASAP given the ramifications.