Quote:
Deadly MERS 'camel flu' may now be airborne
“Deadly Mers virus 'could now be airborne',” The Independent reports. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, which has an estimated case fatality rate of 30%, has been detected in an air sample in a camel barn in Saudi Arabia. This raises the possibility the virus could be spread through the air in the same way as flu.
MERS emerged in 2012 and can be extremely serious, leading to severe breathing difficulties, kidney failure and death (though it appears some people may become unaffected carriers of the virus).
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 837 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection have been reported since 2012, including at least 291 related deaths.
In 2013, evidence emerged that camels could be the main source of the virus (hence the nickname).
The research behind the story highlights the case of a man and his camels living in Saudi Arabia. The man and some of his camels were infected with MERS, and the man sadly died as a result.
On investigation, genetic fragments from the MERS virus were detected in an air sample from the barn housing the infected camels.
There is no concrete evidence that the man was infected through the air, and it should also be noted that he had direct contact with the camels.
However, the possibility of airborne transmission has raised concerns.
It is important to keep researching this new virus and tracking its spread, to gain a better understanding of how it is transmitted to people.
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/07July/P...-airborne.aspx
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