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Nearly two months ago we saw a study (see EID Journal: MERS Coronaviruses in Dromedary Camels, Egypt) that found in Egyptian camels what had already been found in camels from other Middle Eastern nations; evidence of exposure to and infection with the MERS coronavirus.
While just 4 (3.6%) of nasal swabs (out of 110 tested) were positive for the MERS-CoV virus (via RT-PCR testing) – suggesting current or active infection - 48 (92.3%) of 52 dromedary serum samples revealed titers from between 20 to >640, indicating prior infection.
Although these studies have gotten a lot of attention internationally, in many cases they have been dismissed or ignored in Saudi Arabia and surrounding countries, who are often loath to accept the idea that camels might carry and transmit the virus (see Saudi MOA Spokesman: Camel Link Unproven, MERS-CoV Is MOH Problem).
The evidence of camels playing some role in the transmission of the virus to humans continues to mount, although those concerns could be supplanted if sustained and efficient human-to-human transmission of the virus becomes more evident.
Nevertheless, we are beginning to see cautions issued over the consumption of unpasteurized camel’s milk, and other close contact with camels.
Today, the Egyptian Ministry of Health has issued a statement announcing the results of the EID study mentioned above, and cautioning that given the frequency of travel between nations in the region, the potential exists for the virus to impact the nation of Egypt as well.
The Ministry of Health and Population in a statement today that there is a possibility expected to hit the human cases in Egypt infected with coronavirus based on the study that was performed at the National Center for Research Egyptian, which proved the presence of the virus in the sources of the potential of beauty, as well as high-volume frequency traveling to and from countries of the Arabian Peninsula as well as pilgrims.
The statement said access to the report issued by the National Research Center of the Ministry of Scientific Research about the study conducted by the research team center of scientific excellence for influenza viruses during the period from June to December 2013, were searched on the 491 sample, where the virus was found in the number of 4 samples of beauty, the study reported that the source of the beauty that was found on the samples by imported from neighboring Sudan and Ethiopia, has not been found and the emerging presence of the virus in human samples or samples from other cats and bats.
The statement noted that the Ministry of Health and Population has taken all the necessary measures regarding the preparedness and response to disease note that the World Health Organization report on risk assessment stating that there is no evidence of transmission constant from person to person outside the spatial scale and the results of the studies suggest that the source of infection for the virus Beauty and the likelihood is that the bats are the reservoir of infection for this disease.
The statement said that the results of disease surveillance within the system of surveillance of influenza and respiratory and severe pneumonia cases isolated in hospitals (chest - Diets - General - Central - Education) and suspected cases returning from the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and health surveys suggesting that the total samples that have been tested so far 8465 suspected case and all the negative consequences for the corona virus emerging.
The statement stressed that the Ministry of Health and Population is continuing to raise the degree of preparedness and vigilance to implement the plan and prepare a rapid response in the case of the emergence of any human cases of the virus, coronavirus, and based on the continuous monitoring of the development of the global and local epidemic of the disease.
And the epidemic situation the world of the disease, according to World Health Organization reports to date confirm the injury, 213 cases, including 89 deaths, since the outbreak of the disease in November 2012 and the cases discovered from 11 countries are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Oman, Kuwait, and the majority of cases and case number 162 amount of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Source: Media Center
