Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in children

The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a new human disease caused by a novel coronavirus (CoV). The disease is reported mainly in adults. Data in children are scarce. The disease caused by MERS-CoV in children presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations, and it is associated with a lower mortality rate compared with adults. Poor outcome is observed mainly in admitted patients with medical comorbidities. We report a new case of MERS-CoV infection in a 9-month-old child complicated by severe respiratory symptoms, multi-organ dysfunction, and death. We reviewed the literature in an attempt to characterize the mode of presentation, the risk factors, and outcome of MERS-CoV infection in the pediatric population.