Credit VDU Blog
# 8783
One of the great advantages (and pleasures) of following scientists on Twitter is you get to hang around – like a fly on the wall – while they discuss and hash out theories, possibilities, and SWAGs on various issues. On the downside, the 140 character format often leads to cryptic conversations.
So I’m very pleased to see that @Influenza_bio (A Biologist) has returned to Dr. Ian Mackay’s VDU blog today with another guest article – one that fleshes out a running twitter conversation (with graphics) from earlier this week.
You may recall that @Influenza_bio previously penned a couple of terrific guest articles at VDU, including Watching zoonoses evolve... and Can we believe every H7N9 seroprevalence study we see? – both of which are absolutely worth taking the time to read.
Today’s offering is a lengthy, step-by-step analysis of the potential role that imported camels may play in the spread of MERS in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. While the author describes it as a `very speculative hypothesis’, it is also both well reasoned, and well presented.
Follow the link to read:
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Are MERS cases in Saudi Arabia and the UAE linked to camel imports?
Special Guest writer: @influenza_bio
Looking at the history of MERS coronavirus infections to date, many puzzling questions come to mind.
Evidence of MERS infection has been detected in dromedary camels from Spain to Egypt to the Arabian Peninsula. Why have we seen human cases arise only in a handful of countries in the Arabian Peninsula?
Why have nearly all MERS cases originated in Saudi Arabia (KSA)?
As of June 22, 2014, 718 cases are thought to have been contracted in KSA. The UAE, a distant second, has had 69 cases. Jordan has had 17; Qatar has had 9 (although 1 had a travel history to KSA), Kuwait 3, Oman 2 and Yemen 1. All of these countries have a lot of camels.
Given the quality of these first offerings from @Influenza_bio, I look forward to future installments.
