MERS Coronavirus Neutralizing Antibodies in Camels, Eastern Africa, 1983–1997

MERS Coronavirus Neutralizing Antibodies in Camels, Eastern Africa, 1983–1997

Marcel A. Müller, Victor Max Corman, Joerg Jores, Benjamin Meyer, Mario Younan, Anne M. Liljander, Berend-Jan Bosch, Erik Lattwein, Mosaad Hilali, Bakri E. Musa, Set Bornstein, Sung Sup Park

To analyze the distribution of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)–seropositive dromedary camels in eastern Africa, we tested 189 archived serum samples accumulated during the past 30 years. We identified MERS-CoV neutralizing antibodies in 81.0% of samples from the main camel-exporting countries, Sudan and Somalia, suggesting long-term virus circulation in these animals.

2014

dromedary camel, reservoir, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), coronavirus, Antibody, Viruses

DOI: 10.3201/eid2012.141026

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Infectious and parasitic diseases, Medicine

EN