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. 2015 Jul 15:5:28305.
doi: 10.3402/iee.v5.28305. eCollection 2015.

High proportion of MERS-CoV shedding dromedaries at slaughterhouse with a potential epidemiological link to human cases, Qatar 2014

Elmoubasher A B A Farag  1 , Chantal B E M Reusken  2 , Bart L Haagmans  1 , Khaled A Mohran  3 , V Stalin Raj  4 , Suzan D Pas  4 , Jolanda Voermans  4 , Saskia L Smits  4 , Gert-Jan Godeke  5 , Mohd M Al-Hajri  6 , Farhoud H Alhajri  3 , Hamad E Al-Romaihi  1 , Hazem Ghobashy  3 , Mamdouh M El-Maghraby  3 , Ahmed M El-Sayed  1 , Mohamed H J Al Thani  1 , Salih Al-Marri  1 , Marion P G Koopmans  4   5
Affiliations

High proportion of MERS-CoV shedding dromedaries at slaughterhouse with a potential epidemiological link to human cases, Qatar 2014

Elmoubasher A B A Farag et al. Infect Ecol Epidemiol. .

Abstract

Two of the earliest Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases were men who had visited the Doha central animal market and adjoining slaughterhouse in Qatar. We show that a high proportion of camels presenting for slaughter in Qatar show evidence for nasal MERS-CoV shedding (62/105). Sequence analysis showed the circulation of at least five different virus strains at these premises, suggesting that this location is a driver of MERS-CoV circulation and a high-risk area for human exposure. No correlation between RNA loads and levels of neutralizing antibodies was observed, suggesting limited immune protection and potential for reinfection despite previous exposure.

Keywords: MERS-CoV; camels; respiratory infections; zoonoses.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
MERS-CoV RNA shedding by dromedary camels at the central slaughterhouse, Qatar, depicted by sample type (a) and age group for nasal swabs (b). Viral loads in samples are approximated using Ct values obtained with the Up-E target and are expressed as ΔCt (40-Ctsample). Black lines indicate medians.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Reciprocal MERS-CoV-neutralizing antibodies titers by age group (a) and correlated with ΔCt (40-Ctsample) (b) for 53 camels at central slaughterhouse, Qatar.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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