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General Science Bullet – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

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First reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) hit other countries in and around the Arabian Peninsula soon after. With more than 400 people killed till date, the outbreak continues in the Republic of South Korea. In this article we will look into MERS, its origin and prevalence in the Middle East, its diagnosis and treatment.

What is Middle East Respiratory Syndrome?

1. It is a viral respiratory disorder caused by the coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a member of the large family of viruses that can cause diseases like common cold to very severe ones like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

2. MERS is characterised by severe respiratory illness with symptoms like high fever, coughing, sore throat and shortness of breath and other severe complications like pneumonia and kidney failure.

3. The primary mode of transmission or the host reservoir is as yet unknown, however, the origin of this zoonotic virus (transmitted from animals to humans) is supposed to be dromedary camels. Formerly known as novel coronavirus (NCoV), this virus belongs to the subgroup beta (other two being alpha and gamma) and was never found in the past in humans.

Its prevalence and effects in the Middle-East

So far, more than 95% of the confirmed cases for MERS have been reported from the Middle East. Other countries affected are Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Yemen.

The current outbreak of MERS in South Korea has 181 confirmed cases and 31 deaths.

Diagnosis and treatment of MERS

1. Like Ebola, MERS is undetectable in the initial days of infection. Its incubation period is 14 days.

2. MERS can be detected only after the onset of symptoms like high fever and breathlessness.

3. Primarily, routine tests for acute pneumonia and testing of samples from upper and lower respiratory tracts should be done.

4. Molecular tests like real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) is used to confirm the presence of viral-RNA in the clinical samples of suspected individuals.

5. Also, serology tests are carried out to identify the antibodies present in blood for individuals who may have been infected with the virus in the past and developed antibodies for the same as an immune response.

6. The infection rate of MERS is very low compared to other diseases like SARS and Ebola. The infection can pass only on very close contact with the patient. The virus is more likely to infect old people and those with weaker immunity.

7. There is no known medicine/ vaccine for MERS, however treatment is provided according to the symptoms present.

8. Precautionary measures such as maintaining thorough personal hygiene and avoiding close contact with the patients is highly recommended.

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