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. 2018 May-Jun;11(3):331-338.
doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2017.09.022. Epub 2017 Oct 6.

Cross-sectional study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and antibodies in animals that have had contact with MERS patients in Saudi Arabia

Samy Kasem  1 , Ibraheem Qasim  2 , Ali Al-Hufofi  3 , Osman Hashim  2 , Ali Alkarar  2 , Ali Abu-Obeida  2 , Albagir Gaafer  2 , Abdelhamid Elfadil  2 , Ahmed Zaki  3 , Ahmed Al-Romaihi  3 , Nasereldeen Babekr  2 , Nadr El-Harby  2 , Raed Hussien  2 , Ali Al-Sahaf  2 , Ali Al-Doweriej  2 , Faisal Bayoumi  2 , Leo L M Poon  4 , Daniel K W Chu  4 , Malik Peiris  4 , Ranawaka A P M Perera  4
Affiliations

Cross-sectional study of MERS-CoV-specific RNA and antibodies in animals that have had contact with MERS patients in Saudi Arabia

Samy Kasem et al. J Infect Public Health. 2018 May-Jun.

Abstract

Background: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a newly emerged coronavirus that is associated with a severe respiratory disease in humans in the Middle East. The epidemiological profiles of the MERS-CoV infections suggest zoonotic transmission from an animal reservoir to humans.

Methods: This study was designed to investigate animal herds associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-infected patients in Saudi Arabia, during the last three years (2014-2016). Nasal swabs and serum samples from 584 dromedary camels, 39 sheep, 51 goats, and 2 cattle were collected. Nasal samples from camels, sheep, goats, and cattle were examined by real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to detect MERS-CoV RNA, and the Anti-MERS ELISA assay was performed to detect camel humeral immune response (IgG) to MERS-CoV S1 antigen infection. The complete genome sequencing of ten MERS-CoV camel isolates and phylogenetic analysis was performed.

Results: The data indicated that seventy-five dromedary camels were positive for MERS-CoV RNA; the virus was not detected in sheep, goats, and cattle. MERS-CoV RNA from infected camels was not detected beyond 2 weeks after the first positive result was detected in nasal swabs obtained from infected camels. Anti-MERS ELISA assays showed that 70.9% of camels related to human cases had antibodies to MERS-CoV. The full genome sequences of the ten MERS-CoV camel isolates were identical to their corresponding patients and were grouped together within the larger MERS-CoV sequences cluster for human and camel isolates reported form the Arabian Peninsula.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that camels are a significant reservoir for the maintenance of MERS-CoVs, and they are an important source of human infection with MERS.

Keywords: Dromedary camel; ELISA; MERS; Real time-PCR; Saudi Arabia.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of confirmed human cases of MERS with a history of contact with animals in different regions of Saudi Arabia, notifications issued by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of animals examined for MERS-CoV RNA, linked to MERS-human cases in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Total number of animals examined by real-time PCR for MERS-CoV RNA in each region (red square), number of positive animals in each region (blue square).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of animals examined for MERS-CoV specific IgG antibodies, linked to MERS-human cases in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Total number of animals examined by Anti-MERS ELISA for MERS-CoV IgG in each region (red square) and the number of positive animals in each region (blue square).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Phylogenetic analysis of MERS-CoV found in ten RT-PCR-positive camels, using MEGA7. Full genome sequences of the ten MERS-CoV camel samples and the sequences from corresponding patients were aligned with sequences of MERS-CoV reference strains available from GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis was inferred using the neighbor-joining method and distance calculations were computed using the Tamura-Nei model. Sequences from the current study are indicated by a solid square.
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