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FAO calls for more surveillance and research on MERS

Veterinarians and health workers attending an expert meeting convened by the Food and agriculture Organization (FaO) have called for increased monitoring, investigation and immediate reporting of cases of Middle east respiratory syndrome (Mers). the FaO reported last month that, by May 21, there had been more than 630 laboratory-confirmed cases of Mers in people and more than 190 deaths since the first case was confirmed in June 2012. Most of the human cases had occurred in saudi arabia, but cases had also been reported in the United arab emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Oman and Yemen. Other cases reported in asia, north africa, europe and north america had been linked to travel or work in affected countries. Mers is caused by a coronavirus and, the FaO said, while the majority of cases have been a result of human-to-human transmission, it had still to be determined whether people might have been infected through contact with environmental or animal sources. several studies have reported high proportions of camels with antibodies against the Mers coronavirus, the FaO notes. at the expert meeting, held in Oman on May 23, participants noted the ‘recent upsurge in human cases in the arabian Peninsula and the suspected zoonotic transmission involving, in particular, dromedary camels’. they also agreed a number of specific recommendations to gather more knowledge about the transmission of the virus and to minimise its impact on animal and human health, as well as on agriculture and livestockrelated livelihoods. their recommendations included urgent investment in research and surveillance of animals, a systematic search for potential sources of human infection from animal sources or the environment, and the possible introduction of animal passports or certificates for racing camels. ‘it is vitally important for the international community to increase our understanding of where and how the virus is transmitted, who the source is – whether animal or human – and when and why certain people are spreading the virus,’ said Juan Lubroth, the FaO’s chief veterinary officer. ‘there is an urgent need to focus investigations on the epidemiology of Mers-CoV in animal species, to prevent human primary infections and to avoid putting other people in danger.’ He added: ‘By better understanding the epidemiology, we can provide the necessary guidelines to avoid spillover from animals to humans and protect the camel or other animal industries from potential negative consequences.’