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Drivers of MERS-CoV transmission: what do we know?

ABSTRACT: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 has since resulted in sporadic cases, intra-familial transmission and major outbreaks in healthcare settings. The clinical picture of MERS-CoV includes asymptomatic infections, mild or moderately symptomatic cases and fatal disease. Transmissions of MERS-CoV within healthcare settings are facilitated by overcrowding, poor compliance with basic infection control measures, unrecognized infections, the superspreaders phenomenon and poor triage systems. The actual contributing factors to the spread of MERS-CoV are yet to be systematically studied, but data to date suggest viral, host and environmental factors play a major role. Here, we summarize the known factors for the diverse transmission of MERS-CoV.

SUBMITTER: Al-Tawfiq JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7103679 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Drivers of MERS-CoV transmission: what do we know?

Al-Tawfiq Jaffar A JA Memish Ziad A ZA

Expert review of respiratory medicine 20160101 3

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in 2012 has since resulted in sporadic cases, intra-familial transmission and major outbreaks in healthcare settings. The clinical picture of MERS-CoV includes asymptomatic infections, mild or moderately symptomatic cases and fatal disease. Transmissions of MERS-CoV within healthcare settings are facilitated by overcrowding, poor compliance with basic infection control measures, unrecognized infections, the superspreaders phenomenon ...[more]

PMID: 26848513

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