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Published Date: 2013-05-19 12:39:54
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> MERS-CoV - Eastern Mediterranean (03): animal reservoir, RFI
Archive Number: 20130519.1723544

MERS-COV - EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (03): ANIMAL RESERVOIR, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Sat 18 May 2013
From: Omar abdul hadi <omarabdulhadi96@gmail.com> [edited]


Coronavirus , Jordan, suspected transmission source
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I noticed a large string of cat flu going around. The vet said it was a common case of cat flu; it was a severe respiratory illness, symptoms point to common cat flu. We cured those we could but many died. This occurred around December [2012], and they where all stray cats.

I write this to bring to light a possible coronavirus [MERS-COV] vector in Jordan. No one has caught the disease from the cats but it is better to be safe than sorry. Cats should be tested as carriers.

--
Omar Abdul Hadi
Jordan
<omarabdulhadi96@gmail.com>

[The _Coronaviridae_ is a very diverse group of viruses. A worldwide, well known disease-entity caused by a coronavirus in cats is feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). FIP virus is an _Alphacoronavirus_. The novel "Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus" (MERS-CoV), detected in human patients in several Middle Eastern countries, including Jordan, belongs to a different genus, namely _Betacoronavirus_.

So far, no animal species has been found as the maintenance host or vector of MERS-CoV. Bats have been mentioned as possible candidates (see ProMED-mail posting 20130122.1508656). Later, a 73-year-old male patient from Abu-Dhabi, who died in a hospital in Munich, Germany on 26 Mar 2013, was reported by a German physician to have been exposed to a sick camel, one of his racing camels (see posting 20130405.1623188). We are not aware of further investigations carried out to check the significance of that possible exposure and its accuracy (the camel was, reportedly, alive at the time of reporting). Any added information on the matter will be welcomed.

As suggested by Omar Abdul Hadi, investigators may consider including cats in the surveillance. - Mods.CP/AS]

See Also

Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (29): MERS-CoV, ICTV nomenclature 20130516.1717833
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean (15): camel exposure 20130405.1623188
Novel coronavirus - Eastern Mediterranean: bat reservoir 20130122.1508656
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