Taking stock of the first 133 MERS coronavirus cases globally--Is the epidemic changing?

Euro Surveill. 2013 Sep 26;18(39):20596. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.es2013.18.39.20596.

Abstract

Since June 2012, 133 Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases have been identified in nine countries. Two time periods in 2013 were compared to identify changes in the epidemiology. The case-fatality risk (CFR) is 45% and is decreasing. Men have a higher CFR (52%) and are over-represented among cases. Thirteen out of 14 known primary cases died. The sex-ratio is more balanced in the latter period. Nosocomial transmission was implied in 26% of the cases.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Contact Tracing
  • Coronavirus / genetics
  • Coronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Cross Infection / epidemiology
  • Epidemics*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Middle East / epidemiology
  • Population Surveillance
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Sex Distribution
  • Young Adult