title: Travel implications of emerging coronaviruses: SARS and MERS-CoV.
abstract: The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and of the Middle East Syndrome Cornavirus (MERS-CoV) caused widespread fear and concern for their potential threat to global health security. There are similarities and differences in the epidemiology and clinical features between these two diseases. The origin of SARS-COV and MERS-CoV is thought to be an animal source with subsequent transmission to humans. The identification of both the intermediate host and the exact route of transmission of MERS-CoV is crucial for the subsequent prevention of the introduction of the virus into the human population. So far MERS-CoV had resulted in a limited travel-associated human cases with no major events related to the Hajj.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
authors.forename: Jaffar A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Al-Tawfiq
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alimuddin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zumla
authors.affiliation: Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: zmemish@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ziad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Memish
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002162:Camelus; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging; D018352:Coronavirus Infections; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D065207:Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; D014195:Travel; D057236:Travel Medicine; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Hajj: zoonosis; MERS-CoV; SARS-CoV; Travel