Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) remains a serious international public health threat. With the goal of accelerating the development of countermeasures against MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), funding agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers across the world assembled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 14–15, 2015, to discuss vaccine development challenges. The meeting was ...

The Korean Society of Nephrology participated in the task force team consisting of government authorities and civilian experts to prevent and control the spread of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2015. The Korean Society of Nephrology MERS Task Force Team took an immediate action and drafted 'the clinical recommendation for hemodialysis facilities' to follow when the first and the on...

The stability of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was determined at 20°C--40% relative humidity (RH); 30°C--30% RH and 30°C--80% RH. MERS-CoV was more stable at low temperature/low humidity conditions and could still be recovered after 48 hours. During aerosolisation of MERS-CoV, no decrease in stability was observed at 20°C--40% RH. These data suggest the potential of ME...

Introduction MERS-CoV was discovered in 2012 in the Middle East and human cases around the world have been carefully reported by the WHO. MERS-CoV virus is a novel betacoronavirus closely related to a virus (NeoCov) hosted by a bat, Neoromicia capensis. MERS-CoV infects humans and camels. In 2015, MERS-CoV spread from the Middle East to South Korea which sustained an outbreak. Thus, it is clear...

BACKGROUND In South Korea, an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) occurred in 2015. It was the second largest MERS outbreak. As a result of the outbreak in South Korea, 186 infections were reported, and 36 patients died. At least 16,693 people were isolated with suspicious symptoms. This paper estimates the basic reproduction number of the MERS coronavirus (CoV), using data on t...

Background: In May 2014, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, with closely related viral genomes, was diagnosed in two Dutch residents, returning from a pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). These patients travelled with a group of 29 other Dutch travellers. We conducted an epidemiological assessment of the travel group to identify likely s...

BACKGROUND The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was discovered September 2012 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The first US case of MERS-CoV was confirmed on 2 May 2014. METHODS We summarize the clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory and radiologic findings, and MERS-CoV-specific tests. RESULTS The patient is a 65-year-old physician who worked in a hospital in K...

BACKGROUND In May 2014, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, with closely related viral genomes, was diagnosed in two Dutch residents, returning from a pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). These patients travelled with a group of 29 other Dutch travellers. We conducted an epidemiological assessment of the travel group to identify likely so...

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) presents an emerging threat to public health worldwide by causing severe respiratory disease in humans with high virulence and case fatality rate (about 35%) since 2012. Little is known about the pathogenesis and innate antiviral response in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and dendritic cells (MDDCs) upon MERS-CoV infecti...

BACKGROUND Coronaviruses (CoVs) are large ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses causing primarily respiratory disease in humans. A novel human coronavirus, subsequently named middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), was first reported in Saudi Arabia in September of 2012. With increasing numbers of infections and deaths from MERS-CoV, development of a rapid and reliable kit was crucial...