Man in Abu Dhabi Tests Positive for MERS-CoV, According to WHO: ScienceAlert

The World Health Organization announces that an individual in Abu Dhabi has tested positive for MERS-CoV. Out of 108 close contacts identified, only the 28-year-old has tested positive thus far; nonetheless, the WHO is advising vigilance.

The coronavirus known as MERS-CoV was initially discovered in the Middle East in 2012 after entering humans through camels and bats. Health authorities closely monitor a number of zoonotic viruses, or those that spread from animals to people.

On July 10, 17 days after the young man’s positive hospital test on June 23, the United Arab Emirates’ health monitoring agency alerted the WHO of the confirmed case.

In light of the incident, WHO “re-emphasizes the importance of strong surveillance” for acute respiratory infections and has admonished health officials to “carefully review any unusual patterns.”

According to a July 24 statement from WHO, “No secondary cases have been detected to date,” but the group anticipates that further instances will be reported from the Middle East or other nations where the virus is present in animal hosts.

The individual was diagnosed on June 23, had not recently left the UAE, and has no known history of having had direct contact with dromedary camels, the typical source of MERS infections.

According to the statement, “WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conducts risk assessments based on the most recent information.”

The patient, who was admitted to the hospital on June 8, had 108 close friends and family members identified by health officials. All tests have so far come back negative for the 108 contacts, who are all healthcare professionals. They were all observed for 14 days after the contact.

Between June 3 and June 7, the individual visited a private medical facility multiple times, complaining of nausea, vomiting, and discomfort in his right flank and when peeing.

The man was taken to the hospital as his condition deteriorated and then transferred to intensive care, where he is now getting supportive care.

MERS, the syndrome brought on by MERS-CoV, does not currently have a vaccination or particular treatment. MERS commonly manifests as a fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Since July 2013, the UAE has been the source of at least 94 MERS-CoV infections (including this particular case) and 12 deaths associated with the virus.

Since 2012, laboratories have identified 2,605 MERS-CoV cases worldwide, including 936 fatalities.

In recent years, infections have been found in the US, Philippines, Netherlands, and South Korea.

While breaking news like this serves as a warning of the growing threat that zoonotic viruses represent to humans worldwide, it also demonstrates that infectious disease alert systems are operating as intended, if a little more slowly.

Researchers continue to carefully examine how these systems might operate more effectively. Because what happens next – how authorities react and keep an eye on the issue – is crucial, as we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and outbreaks that came before it.

MERS-CoV is a virus that first appeared in 2009, following the swine flu pandemic and SARS-CoV-1 in 2003, but before the Ebola and Zika virus epidemics in West Africa in 2014–2016. Experts warn that despite the proliferation of zoonotic viruses and evidence that human activity is increasing the risk of spillover, we are not doing enough to get ready for the next pandemic.

“Even with widespread evidence, investment in public health pandemic data systems within the health sector continues to be overlooked by most governments globally,” a group of public health researchers wrote in a 2022 systematic review of early warning systems used all over the world to detect infectious disease outbreaks.

“Such preparedness appears significantly urgent with the unprecedented pandemic era of current and emerging public health threats,” the authors write in their conclusion.

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