MERS
Summary
Middle East respiratory syndrome is a severe viral pneumonia caused by MERS-CoV, a betacoronavirus with a dromedary camel reservoir. It emerged in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and is notable for a high case fatality rate of roughly 35% with limited human-to-human transmission.
Detail
MERS-CoV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of the family Coronaviridae. It enters cells via dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4, also called CD26), which distinguishes it from SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, both of which use ACE2. Transmission is chiefly zoonotic from dromedary camels or camel products, with human-to-human spread largely confined to healthcare settings, which has produced dramatic nosocomial outbreaks, most notably in South Korea in 2015. Illness ranges from asymptomatic infection to fulminant pneumonia with ARDS, and acute kidney injury is more prominent than in most other viral pneumonias. Risk of death is concentrated in older patients and those with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or immunosuppression. There is no approved antiviral or vaccine, and management is supportive with strict infection control.
Sources
- Levinson Medical Microbiology and Immunology
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine
Reviewed by AnkiBoss editorial — medical student review. Information here is for study reference only and is not medical advice. Spotted an error? Let us know.