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MERS cases linked to camel herd
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Health officials from Qatar and the Netherlands have identified Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, coronavirus in a herd of camels linked to two cases of human infection with the virus, according to WHO.
Qatar authorities from the Public Health Department and the Department of Animal Resources, supported by members of WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, conducted an epidemiological investigation into the potential sources of exposure of the two patients.
Investigators at the National Institute of Public Health and Environment and Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands confirmed the presence of MERS in three camels from a herd with which both patients had contact. The herd has been isolated as a precautionary measure, according to WHO. Laboratory tests were negative for infection for all contacts with the two cases, as well as for another worker employed at the barn in which the animals were kept.
"These results demonstrate that camels can be infected with [MERS] but there is insufficient information to indicate the role camels and other animals may be playing in the possible transmission of the virus, including to and from humans," WHO said in the release.
Investigators also are testing samples taken from other animal species and from the environment around the barn.
To date, there have been a total of 163 cases of human infection with MERS, including 70 deaths.
WHO recommends that people at risk for infection should avoid close contact with animals where the virus is known to be circulating. The health organization does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions as a result of the outbreak.