MERS-CoV: UAE reports cases, Qatar finds infected camels
Robert Roos
CIDRAP News
Dec 02, 2013
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday reported three Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases in one young family, including a pregnant woman. That report came 4 days after Qatari officials revealed that the virus was found in three camels with links to two human case-patients.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the UAE cases involved a 38-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, and their 8-year-old son. Media reports said the three were from Jordan, but the WHO statement did not list their nationality. A report today in the UAE newspaper The National said the mother has died of her illness.
The report from Qatar marks the second time the virus has been found in camels, the previous instance having been reported by Saudi Arabia about 3 weeks ago. But scientists have not yet found conclusive evidence that camels are a source of human infections.
UAE family cluster
The earliest onset of illness in the UAE cases was Nov 15, the WHO said. The parents were in critical condition yesterday, while their son had mild respiratory symptoms. The mother gave birth to a child while she was hospitalized for treatment, the agency said.
The three patients had no recent travel history, no contact with other known case-patients, and no recent contact with animals, the agency said.
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