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Abstract
Two of the earliest Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases were men who had visited the Doha central animal market and adjoining slaughterhouse in Qatar. We show that a high proportion of camels presenting for slaughter in Qatar show evidence for nasal MERS-CoV shedding (62/105). Sequence analysis showed the circulation of at least five different virus strains at these premises, suggesting that this location is a driver of MERS-CoV circulation and a high-risk area for human exposure. No correlation between RNA loads and levels of neutralizing antibodies was observed, suggesting limited immune protection and potential for reinfection despite previous exposure.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Berend-Jan Bosch for supply of antigens for micro-array testing. Samples were collected according to national regulations with regard to animal health and welfare under the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), permit number 2014-01-001. All animal samples were transported in agreement with Dutch import regulations with regard to animal disease legislation.
