Many viruses that humans come into contact with originate from an animal source, such as the Black Plague from rats and AIDS from monkeys. These viruses constitute a threat to the human health. Veterinarians can help in the effort to contain and prevent the spread of these viruses to the human population. An instance of such a virus is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which recently emerged in the US. The first confirmed case of MERS was reported in Indiana, where the patient was an American health care provider, working in Saudi Arabia. The second case was reported in Florida. The patient was also a health care provider who treated MERS patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Eventually, the virus was further spread when two more health care workers, who were recently in contact with the Florida MERS patient, were admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms. …show more content…
MERS is a coronavirus and can spread from close contact with an infected individual. However, it is limited to direct human-to-human transmission. There is no known vaccine or special treatment for MERS, and the exact route of transmission between human and MERS is unknown. MERS is suspected to have originated in the camel population in Saudi Arabia. MERS antibodies were found in dromedaries but were lacking in other animals, suggesting that dromedary camels may serve as a vector to the human host. The virus may be spread to humans through direct and indirect transmission from the dromedary camels (zoonosis), via nasal and eye discharge, feces, and urine. The respiratory route and the food borne route through consumption of camel meat and raw milk can be considered as