MERS

Definition : Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), also known as camel flu, is a viral respiratory infection caused by the MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Symptoms may range from mild to severe. They include fever, cough, diarrhea and shortness of breath. Disease is typically more severe in those with other health problems. Mortality is about one-third of diagnosed cases.

MERS-CoV is a betacoronavirus derived from bats. Camels have been shown to have antibodies to MERS-CoV but the exact source of infection in camels has not been identified. Camels are believed to be involved in its spread to humans but it is unclear how. Spread between humans typically requires close contact with an infected person. Its spread is uncommon outside of hospitals. Thus, its risk to the global population is currently deemed to be fairly low.

Synopsis

 DAD diffuse alveolar damage
 organizing pneumonia

• different from the lesions in SARS patients
• fibrocellular intra-alveolar organization
• bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia-like pattern

Open references

 Coronavirus disease 2019: What we know?. Free https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jmv.25766

 Pathogenesis of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. van den Brand JM, Smits SL, Haagmans BL. J Pathol. 2015 Jan;235(2):175-84. doi : 10.1002/path.4458. Review PMID: 25294366 Free

 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection: epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical characteristics. Nassar MS, Bakhrebah MA, Meo SA, Alsuabeyl MS, Zaher WA. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2018 Aug;22(15):4956-4961. doi : 10.26355/eurrev_201808_15635 PMID: 30070331 Free

 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Virus Pathogenesis. 2016
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27486737/

 SARS and MERS: recent insights into emerging coronaviruses, 2016.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27344959/