Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) circulates in dromedary camels in the Arabian Peninsula and occasionally causes spillover infections in humans. MERS-CoV diversity is poorly understood because of the lack of sampling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected 558 swab samples...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ahmed M. Hassan, Barbara Mühlemann, Tagreed L. Al-Subhi, Jordi Rodon, Sherif A. El-Kafrawy, Ziad Memish, Julia Melchert, Tobias Bleicker, Tiina Mauno, Stanley Perlman, Alimuddin Zumla, Terry C. Jones, Marcel A. Müller, Victor M. Corman, Christian Drosten, Esam I. Azhar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2025-01-01
Series:Emerging Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-1030_article
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850101707618385920
author Ahmed M. Hassan
Barbara Mühlemann
Tagreed L. Al-Subhi
Jordi Rodon
Sherif A. El-Kafrawy
Ziad Memish
Julia Melchert
Tobias Bleicker
Tiina Mauno
Stanley Perlman
Alimuddin Zumla
Terry C. Jones
Marcel A. Müller
Victor M. Corman
Christian Drosten
Esam I. Azhar
author_facet Ahmed M. Hassan
Barbara Mühlemann
Tagreed L. Al-Subhi
Jordi Rodon
Sherif A. El-Kafrawy
Ziad Memish
Julia Melchert
Tobias Bleicker
Tiina Mauno
Stanley Perlman
Alimuddin Zumla
Terry C. Jones
Marcel A. Müller
Victor M. Corman
Christian Drosten
Esam I. Azhar
author_sort Ahmed M. Hassan
collection DOAJ
description Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) circulates in dromedary camels in the Arabian Peninsula and occasionally causes spillover infections in humans. MERS-CoV diversity is poorly understood because of the lack of sampling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected 558 swab samples from dromedary camels in Saudi Arabia during November 2023–January 2024. We found 39% were positive for MERS-CoV RNA by reverse transcription PCR. We sequenced 42 MERS-CoVs and 7 human 229E-related coronaviruses from camel swab samples by using high-throughput sequencing. Sequences from both viruses formed monophyletic clades apical to recently available genomes. MERS-CoV sequences were most similar to B5 lineage sequences and harbored unique genetic features, including novel amino acid polymorphisms in the spike protein. Further characterization will be required to understand their effects. MERS-CoV spillover into humans poses considerable public health concerns. Our findings indicate surveillance and phenotypic studies are needed to identify and monitor MERS-CoV pandemic potential.
format Article
id doaj-art-1a77d74f97624e2da53b97251e2a6762
institution DOAJ
issn 1080-6040
1080-6059
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
record_format Article
series Emerging Infectious Diseases
spelling doaj-art-1a77d74f97624e2da53b97251e2a67622025-08-20T02:39:56ZengCenters for Disease Control and PreventionEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-60592025-01-01311576510.3201/eid3101.241030Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024Ahmed M. HassanBarbara MühlemannTagreed L. Al-SubhiJordi RodonSherif A. El-KafrawyZiad MemishJulia MelchertTobias BleickerTiina MaunoStanley PerlmanAlimuddin ZumlaTerry C. JonesMarcel A. MüllerVictor M. CormanChristian DrostenEsam I. Azhar Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) circulates in dromedary camels in the Arabian Peninsula and occasionally causes spillover infections in humans. MERS-CoV diversity is poorly understood because of the lack of sampling during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected 558 swab samples from dromedary camels in Saudi Arabia during November 2023–January 2024. We found 39% were positive for MERS-CoV RNA by reverse transcription PCR. We sequenced 42 MERS-CoVs and 7 human 229E-related coronaviruses from camel swab samples by using high-throughput sequencing. Sequences from both viruses formed monophyletic clades apical to recently available genomes. MERS-CoV sequences were most similar to B5 lineage sequences and harbored unique genetic features, including novel amino acid polymorphisms in the spike protein. Further characterization will be required to understand their effects. MERS-CoV spillover into humans poses considerable public health concerns. Our findings indicate surveillance and phenotypic studies are needed to identify and monitor MERS-CoV pandemic potential. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-1030_articleMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirusMERS-CoVcoronaviruscoronavirus diseaseemerging virusesvirology
spellingShingle Ahmed M. Hassan
Barbara Mühlemann
Tagreed L. Al-Subhi
Jordi Rodon
Sherif A. El-Kafrawy
Ziad Memish
Julia Melchert
Tobias Bleicker
Tiina Mauno
Stanley Perlman
Alimuddin Zumla
Terry C. Jones
Marcel A. Müller
Victor M. Corman
Christian Drosten
Esam I. Azhar
Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
MERS-CoV
coronavirus
coronavirus disease
emerging viruses
virology
title Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
title_full Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
title_fullStr Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
title_full_unstemmed Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
title_short Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024
title_sort ongoing evolution of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus saudi arabia 2023 2024
topic Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
MERS-CoV
coronavirus
coronavirus disease
emerging viruses
virology
url https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-1030_article
work_keys_str_mv AT ahmedmhassan ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT barbaramuhlemann ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT tagreedlalsubhi ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT jordirodon ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT sherifaelkafrawy ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT ziadmemish ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT juliamelchert ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT tobiasbleicker ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT tiinamauno ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT stanleyperlman ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT alimuddinzumla ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT terrycjones ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT marcelamuller ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT victormcorman ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT christiandrosten ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024
AT esamiazhar ongoingevolutionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirussaudiarabia20232024