title: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus on inanimate surfaces: A risk for health care transmission.
abstract: The Middle East Respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been responsible for multiple health care-associated outbreaks. We investigated whether high-touch surfaces in 3 rooms of laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV patients were contaminated with MERS-CoV RNA. We found 2 out of 51 surfaces were contaminated with MERS-CoV viral genetic material. Hence, environmental contamination may be a potential source of health care transmission and outbreaks. Meticulous environmental cleaning may be important in preventing transmission within the health care setting.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: raymondkhan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Raymond M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hasan M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Al-Dorzi
authors.affiliation: Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sameera
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Johani
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hanan H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Balkhy
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Thamer H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Alenazi
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baharoon
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Department, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yaseen M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Arabi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011790:Quarantine / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D035502:Trust
keywords: Environmental cleaning; Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV); Saudi Arabia; environmental contamination; infection control