A human coronavirus, called the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), was first identified in September 2012 in samples obtained from a Saudi Arabian businessman who died from acute respiratory failure. Since then, 49 cases of infections caused by MERS-CoV (previously called a novel coronavirus) with 26 deaths have been reported to date. In this report, we describe a family case cluster of MERS-CoV infection, including the clinical presentation, treatment outcomes, and household relationships of three young men who became ill with MERS-CoV infection after the hospitalization of an elderly male relative, who died of the disease. Twenty-four other family members living in the same household and 124 attending staff members at the hospitals did not become ill. MERS-CoV infection may cause a spectrum of clinical illness. Although an animal reservoir is suspected, none has been discovered. Meanwhile, global concern rests on the ability of MERS-CoV to cause major illness in close contacts of patients.
Family cluster of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infections.
Z. Memish,Alimuddin Zumla,Rafat F Al-Hakeem,A. Al-Rabeeah,G. Stephens
Published 2013 in New England Journal of Medicine
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- Publication year
2013
- Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
- Publication date
2013-06-26
- Fields of study
Medicine
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- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
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