Lack of in-depth studies hampers efforts to identify source.
Possible infection with the MERS coronavirus, or a closely related virus, has been detected in camels.
Frank Krahmer/Getty
A year on from the first reported human case of infection with Middle
East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the world still has
few answers to the most pressing question from a public-health
perspective: what is the source of the steady stream of new cases? Only
with this information can the outbreak be controlled.
There have so far been 114 confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection, including 54 deaths, with another 34 suspected cases (see ‘Catching on’).
All originated in the Arabian Peninsula, with most in Saudi Arabia and
others in Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Imported
cases have occurred in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Tunisia.
The virus is thought to be an animal virus that sporadically jumps to
people — there are no signs yet that it can spread easily between
humans, although limited spread between people in close contact has been
seen.
