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MERS-CoV

virus
Also known as: MERS coronavirus

Quick Summary

MERS-CoV is a coronavirus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), an acute viral respiratory illness. It was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Symptoms include cough, fever, and shortness of breath, and can progress to pneumonia and kidney failure. The virus is primarily transmitted through close contact between people, but camels are considered a likely source of human infection in the Middle East and Africa. While MERS-CoV can spread internationally via infected travelers, its ability to pass easily from person to person is limited, which has so far prevented it from becoming a widespread pandemic. Treatment for MERS is supportive, and over 30 percent of reported cases have been fatal.12

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