The recent MERS-CoV webinar featured Dr. Gounalan Pavade, WOAH senior scientific coordinator, who explained that since its 2012 discovery in Saudi Arabia and Jordan, this beta coronavirus primarily affects dromedary camels while causing significant human infections in the Arabian Peninsula. Despite Africa having the largest camel population with endemic MERS-CoV (95% of adult dromedaries carrying antibodies), human cases remain concentrated in the Middle East (80%). Dr. Pavade highlighted the notable epidemiological disconnect between widespread animal prevalence and geographically limited human infections, emphasising the need for a One Health approach to address this zoonotic disease effectively.
Mer's COV Epidemiology and Control Methods
