Maged Gomaa Hemida1,2, Mohammed Alhammadi3, Faisal Almathen4, Abdelmohsen Alnaeem5. 1. Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hufuf, Al-Ahasa, Saudi Arabia. mhemida@kfu.edu.sa. 2. Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt. mhemida@kfu.edu.sa. 3. Department of Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Hufuf, Al-Ahasa, Saudi Arabia. 4. Department of Public Health and Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahasa, Saudi Arabia. 5. Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahasa, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is one of the zoonotic coronaviruses [Hemida Peer J 7:e7556, 2019; Hemida et al. One Health 8:100102, 2019]. The dromedary camels remained the only known animal reservoir for this virus. Several aspects of the transmission cycle of the virus between animals, including arthropod-borne infection, is still largely unknown. The main objective of the current work was to study the possibility of MERS-CoV transmission through some arthropod vectors, particularly the hard ticks. To achieve this objective, we identified a positive MERS-CoV dromedary camel herd using the commercial available real-time PCR kits. We collected some arthropods, particularly the ticks from these positive animals as well as from the animal habitats. We tested these arthropods for the presence of MERS-CoV viral RNAs. RESULTS: Our results showing the absence of any detectable MERS-CoV-RNAs in these arthropods despite these animals were actively shedding the virus in their nasal secretions. Our results are confirming for the first the failure of detection of the MERS-CoV in ticks infesting dromedary camels. Failure of the detection of MERS-CoV in ticks infesting positive naturally infected MERS-CoV camels is strongly suggesting that ticks do not play roles in the transmission of the virus among the animals and close contact humans.
OBJECTIVE: The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is one of the zoonoticcoronaviruses [Hemida Peer J 7:e7556, 2019; Hemida et al. One Health 8:100102, 2019]. The dromedarycamels remained the only known animal reservoir for this virus. Several aspects of the transmission cycle of the virus between animals, including arthropod-borne infection, is still largely unknown. The main objective of the current work was to study the possibility of MERS-CoV transmission through some arthropod vectors, particularly the hard ticks. To achieve this objective, we identified a positive MERS-CoVdromedarycamel herd using the commercial available real-time PCR kits. We collected some arthropods, particularly the ticks from these positive animals as well as from the animal habitats. We tested these arthropods for the presence of MERS-CoV viral RNAs. RESULTS: Our results showing the absence of any detectable MERS-CoV-RNAs in these arthropods despite these animals were actively shedding the virus in their nasal secretions. Our results are confirming for the first the failure of detection of the MERS-CoV in ticks infesting dromedarycamels. Failure of the detection of MERS-CoV in ticks infesting positive naturally infectedMERS-CoVcamels is strongly suggesting that ticks do not play roles in the transmission of the virus among the animals and close contact humans.
Authors: Maged G Hemida; Daniel K W Chu; Leo L M Poon; Ranawaka A P M Perera; Mohammad A Alhammadi; Hoi-Yee Ng; Lewis Y Siu; Yi Guan; Abdelmohsen Alnaeem; Malik Peiris Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Date: 2014-07 Impact factor: 6.883