MERS: emergence of a novel human coronavirus

Jessie Huang

Human coronaviruses (CoVs)

•severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV

•SARS-CoV originated from horseshoe bats, but palm civets acted as intermediate host allowing animal-to-human transmission

•Current knowledge indicates that human CoVs emerged from animal ancestors and that various animal CoVs also crossed the species barrier

The high frequency of genetic recombination and mutation make CoVs well capable of adapting to new hosts

I’m stanger!

Human lower respiratory tract infection with unknown cause in the Middle East region

2012/3 2013

Number of MERS-CoV cases by country and year

• Between 2012 and 7 July 2015, 1368 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus have been reported to WHO, including at least 487 deaths

• Overall, 65% of cases where gender has been reported are male and the median age is 50 years

Epidemic curve of MERS-CoV cases

(n=1368) (as of 7 July 2015)

What’s MERS Virus?

• Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

• Genome: (+)ssRNA, ~30kb (20-33kb) •Virion: Enveloped, roughly spherical, 120-160nm, large club like protrusion (spike protein)

Transmission pathway

Common Symptoms Fever

Fever with chillsFever with rigors Cough

Shortness of breath

Myalgia Fever

Shortness of breathFever with chills

Fever with rigors

Cough

MyalgiaFever

Shortness of breath

Fever with chillsFever with rigors CoughMyalgia

2-14 days

Kidney failure

Pericarditis Dessiminated intiavascular coagulation2-14 days

Kidney failurePericarditisDessiminated intiavascular coagulation

What we can do

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/south-koreas-mers-outbreak-10-things-to-know-about-the-virus