Microbiology Report on MERS-CoV Virus: Present Conditions & Future

This report provides an overview of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It details the major symptoms associated with the disease, including cough, fever, and dyspnoea, and discusses the treatments used, such as rigorous care, ventilation, and systemic corticosteroids. The report also highlights the surveillance and monitoring techniques employed, including serological testing. It presents the current conditions, noting that since 2012, numerous laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported to the World Health Organization, with a significant portion originating from Saudi Arabia. The report concludes with recommendations for future monitoring and treatment, including the potential use of convalescent plasma treatment and the importance of ongoing surveillance of influenza-like illnesses. It emphasizes the need for clinicians to participate in the WHO Clinical Network and advises against the use of corticosteroids for managing the illness.

Running Head: MICROBIOLOGY 0
Microbiology
Research on MERS-CoV virus
(Student Details :)
11/29/2018

Microbiology 1
Contents
Microbiology..............................................................................................................................2
Symptoms...............................................................................................................................2
Treatment used.......................................................................................................................2
Surveillance and monitoring techniques used........................................................................2
Present conditions..................................................................................................................2
Recommendations..................................................................................................................2

Microbiology 2
Microbiology
In 2012, MERS-CoV virus was first reported in Saudi Arabia with a case of lethal
respiratory ailment in a sixty years old healthy man. When the cause was identified then it
was a coronavirus named as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (herein after
referred as MERS-CoV) (World Health Organization, 2013).
Symptoms
Major Symptoms associated with the MERS-CoV disease were including cough,
fever and dyspnoea. Rest common symptoms comprise rigor, chills, headache, malaise and
myalgia (World Health Organization, 2013).
Treatment used
Patients required rigorous care, ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane
oxygenation. Additionally, systemic corticosteroids have been utilised for the treatment of
worst cases of MERS-CoV disease, provided with no assured survival benefit as well as the
major side effects (World Health Organization, 2013).
Surveillance and monitoring techniques used
Serological testing was used for MERS-CoV, and these Serological surveys included
retrospectively assessment monitoring (Al-tawfiq & Memish, 2014).
Present conditions
Since 2012 to 30 June, 2018, 2229 laboratories have confirmed many cases of MERS-
CoV, and infections were also reported to world health organization. Besides, 83 per cent of
them were reported by the Saudi Arabia only. In whole, virus cases have been reported
through 27 countries in the North Africa, Middle East, Europe, USA, and Asia. Therefore, the
virus is still considering as a huge threat and total 804 deaths have been occurred since
September 2012 to till date due to MERS-CoV (World Health Organization', 2018).
Recommendations
 Convalescent plasma treatment may offer a useful treatment for worsen MERS-CoV
disease (Al-tawfiq & Memish, 2014).
 Conduct surveillance and monitoring of influenza-like illness in the human
community by outpatient sentinel networks.
 Collect samples through patients with influenza-like illness due to MERS-CoV

Microbiology 3
 Clinicians dealt with patients of MERS-CoV infections must participate in the WHO
Clinical Network as well as associated teleconferences (World Health Organization',
2018).
 For managing illness, avoid usage of corticosteroids.
References
Al-tawfiq, J., & Memish, Z. (2014). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus:
epidemiology and disease control measures. Infection and drug resistance, 7, 281.
World Health Organization. (2013, 06 04). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.
Retrieved from World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/coronavirus_infections/MERSCov_WHO_KSA_Miss
ion_Jun13_.pdf
World Health Organization'. (2018, 09). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-CoV). Retrieved from World Health Organization:
http://www.who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/