Epidemiological investigation of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in dromedary camel farms linked with human infection in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates.

The objective of this research was to investigate the prevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection primarily in dromedary camel farms and the relationship of those infections with infections in humans in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Nasal swabs from 1113 dromedary camels (39 farms) and 34 sheep (1 farm) and sputum samples from 2 MERS-CoV-infected camel farm owners and 1 MERS-CoV-infected sheep farm owner were collected. Samples from camels and humans underwent real-time reverse-transcription quantitative PCR screening to detect MERS-CoV. In addition, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of partially characterized MERS-CoV genome fragments obtained from camels were performed. Among the 40 farms, 6 camel farms were positive for MERS-CoV; the virus was not detected in the single sheep farm. The maximum duration of viral shedding from infected camels was 2 weeks after the first positive test result as detected in nasal swabs and in rectal swabs obtained from infected calves. Three partial camel sequences characterized in this study (open reading frames 1a and 1ab, Spike1, Spike2, and ORF4b) together with the corresponding regions of previously reported MERS-CoV sequence obtained from one farm owner were clustering together within the larger MERS-CoV sequences cluster containing human and camel isolates reported for the Arabian Peninsula. Data provided further evidence of the zoonotic potential of MERS-CoV infection and strongly suggested that camels may have a role in the transmission of the virus to humans.

Prevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in dromedary camels in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates.

High seroprevalence of Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERS-CoV) in dromedary camels has been previously reported in United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, the molecular detection of the virus has never been reported before in UAE. Of the 7,803 nasal swabs tested in the epidemiological survey, MERS-CoV nucleic acid was detected by real-time PCR in a total of 126 (1.6 %) camels. Positive camels were detected at the borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman and in camels' slaughter houses. MERS-CoV partial sequences obtained from UAE camels were clustering with human- and camel-derived MERS-CoV sequences in the same geographic area. Results provide further evidence of MERS-CoV zoonosis.

Performance of an Immunochromatographic Test (ICT) in Comparison to Some Commonly Used Serological Tests for the Diagnosis of Brucellosis in Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius).

Serological tests may represent an essential tool for the diagnosis of camel brucellosis; however, concerns arise in the scientific community regarding the direct transposition from cattle and small ruminants without adequate validation. The present study was made to compare four serological tests for the diagnosis of brucellosis in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). In terms of sensitivity, our results show that the Immunochromatographic Test (ICT) shows the higher value of sensitivity, 98.67% (95% Confidence Level (C.L): 94.36%-99.99%), followed by the Fluorescence Polarization Assay (FPA) with 95.05% (95% C.L: 88.23%-99.51%), then the Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA) with 94.94% (95% C.L: 88.25%-99.45%) and, finally, the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) with 68.95% (95% C.L: 56.55%-80.69%), which is the only test showing a significantly lower sensitivity compared to the others. On the other hand, our study revealed no significant difference in terms of specificity between all the tests under study, with a range from 99.06% (95% C.L: 98.34%-99.64%) for the ICT to 99.92% (95% C.L: 99.64%-100%) for the RBT. The ICT was found to be comparable in terms of sensitivity and specificity with the most commonly used tests for camel brucellosis. The results of the present study are of paramount importance for designing surveillance and control measures for brucellosis in camel populations.