| Download the amazing global Makindo app: ✅ Means NICE/National Guidelines 2026 compliant Android | Apple | |
|---|---|
| MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: Educational use only. Not for diagnosis or management. See below for full disclaimer. |
Middle East Resp Syndrome (MERS) Coronavirus
🦠 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV): Fever may be absent in infants, elderly, immunosuppressed, or those on antipyretics → maintain suspicion in at-risk cases.
ℹ️ About
- Viral respiratory illness caused by MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
- First identified in Saudi Arabia (2012), later reported in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, USA.
- 🐪 Camels = natural reservoir; human-to-human spread in healthcare settings.
🧬 Aetiology
- Novel coronavirus strain causing severe lower respiratory disease.
- Incubation: 2–14 days (median ~5–6).
- Transmission: droplets, direct contact, contaminated surfaces.
🤒 Clinical Features
- Respiratory: Fever, cough, dyspnoea → pneumonia, ARDS.
- GI: Diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
- Severe illness: ARDS, septic shock, multi-organ failure; worse with diabetes, CKD, immunosuppression.
- Atypical: Afebrile presentation in high-risk groups.
🧪 Investigations
- 🩸 Bloods: U&E (AKI risk), LFTs, FBC.
- 💨 ABG: Assess hypoxaemia/respiratory failure.
- 🧫 PCR: Nasopharyngeal, sputum, or BAL = diagnostic gold standard.
- 🩻 CXR/CT: Bilateral pneumonia, ARDS, ground-glass opacities.
🛡️ Prevention
- 🚫 Avoid raw camel milk/urine & undercooked camel meat.
- 🏥 Strict infection control: standard + contact + airborne precautions.
- 😷 PPE: N95 mask, gown, gloves, eye protection for healthcare workers.
- 🚪 Isolation: suspected/confirmed patients in negative-pressure rooms if available.
💊 Management
- Supportive: ABCs, O₂, IV fluids, vasopressors if shock.
- Advanced: ITU/HDU for mechanical ventilation, renal replacement if needed.
- No licensed antivirals; investigational drugs under study.
- 🧴 Infection control = critical to prevent outbreaks (PPE, hand hygiene, surface disinfection).
- 🏠 Mild disease: home isolation until recovery.
📚 References
| The content on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only to support exam preparation (e.g., MLA, MRCP, USMLE) and learning. This is NOT medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional guidance. It does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional, official guidelines (e.g., NICE, GMC, BNF), or supervised clinical practice. Always verify information with current, authoritative sources. Makindo and its contributors accept no liability for any reliance on this content, including errors, omissions, or any resulting harm, loss, or consequences. By using this site, you agree to these terms. |
|
|
Categories
- A Level
- About
- Acute Medicine
- Anaesthetics and Critical Care
- Anatomy
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Book
- Cardiology
- Collections
- CompSci
- Crib Sheets
- Dental
- Dermatology
- Differentials
- Drugs
- ENT
- Education
- Electrocardiogram
- Embryology
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Ethics
- Foundation Doctors
- GCSE
- Gastroenterology
- General Practice
- Genetics
- Geriatric Medicine
- Guidelines
- Gynaecology
- Haematology
- Hepatology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Infographic
- Investigations
- Lists
- MRCP
- Mandatory Training
- Medical Students
- Microbiology
- Nephrology
- Neu
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Nutrition
- OSCE
- OSCEs
- Obstetrics
- Obstetrics Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Oral Medicine and Dentistry
- Orthopaedics
- Paediatrics
- Palliative
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Procedures
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Radiology
- Renal
- Respiratory
- Resuscitation
- Revision
- Rheumatology
- Statistics and Research
- Stroke
- Surgery
- Toxicology
- Trauma and Orthopaedics
- USMLE
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery