title: High proportion of MERS-CoV shedding dromedaries at slaughterhouse with a potential epidemiological link to human cases, Qatar 2014.
abstract: Two of the earliest Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases were men who had visited the Doha central animal market and adjoining slaughterhouse in Qatar. We show that a high proportion of camels presenting for slaughter in Qatar show evidence for nasal MERS-CoV shedding (62/105). Sequence analysis showed the circulation of at least five different virus strains at these premises, suggesting that this location is a driver of MERS-CoV circulation and a high-risk area for human exposure. No correlation between RNA loads and levels of neutralizing antibodies was observed, suggesting limited immune protection and potential for reinfection despite previous exposure.
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Elmoubasher A B A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Farag
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; c.reusken@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Chantal B E M
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Reusken
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Bart L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Haagmans
authors.affiliation: Animal Resources Department-Ministry of Environment, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Khaled A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mohran
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stalin Raj
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Suzan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pas
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voermans
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Saskia L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.affiliation: Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Godeke
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar; malhajri1@sch.gov.qa.
authors.forename: Mohd M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Al-Hajri
authors.affiliation: Animal Resources Department-Ministry of Environment, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Farhoud H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Alhajri
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Hamad E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Al-Romaihi
authors.affiliation: Animal Resources Department-Ministry of Environment, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Hazem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghobashy
authors.affiliation: Animal Resources Department-Ministry of Environment, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Mamdouh M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: El-Maghraby
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ahmed M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: El-Sayed
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Mohamed H J
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Al Thani
authors.affiliation: Supreme Council of Health, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Marri
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Center for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marion P G
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Koopmans
keywords: MERS-CoV; camels; respiratory infections; zoonoses