Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome

The respiratory syncytial pathogen is a non-segmented negative -sense single stranded RNA virus that falls under the paramyxoviridae family. The virus is comprised of 10 genes the encode 11 proteins and is divided into two subtypes A and B, which further divide into multiple genotypes. Genetic studies have tried

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a severe acute respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus named MERS-CoV. It is believed that the virus is found in camels and passed on to humans who are in contact or around infected animal. These camels are mainly located in Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia (WHO, 2015a). Those infected with MERS exhibit fever, cough, and shortness of breath, pneumonia, and diarrhea. Severe cases require patient to be put on mechanical ventilation or in an intensive care unit. It is also known to cause kidney failure and septic shock. The elderly, persons who are immunosuppressed, those who

In September of 2012, beginning in the country of Saudi Arabia, hospitals began seeing increased cases of a respiratory virus never before seen in humans. They named it Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS. MERS is a viral respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. It was originally thought to have started there in Saudi Arabia. It was not until later that they were able to trace the origin back to Jordan starting in April of 2012. All outbreaks of MERS have been traced back to originating from the Arabian Peninsula (CDC, 2015a). Unfortunately, it is not known exactly how MERS was contracted in humans, but it is believed to have come from an animal source, probably from camels. Strains of MERS

RSV is the most common cause of LRTI’s leading to morbidity and mortality in children across the world. Most children have acquired an RSV infection by the time they reach 2 years of age. It is typical to see these infections during the winter/early spring seasons in temperate regions, and during the rainy seasons in tropical areas. This is likely due to the increase of indoor crowding related to weather. The transmission of RSV requires close contact by either a large particle aerosol, or by contamination of hands followed by an inoculation into the eye or nose. Secondary infections are seen in in family contacts of an individual with a primary case due to their close contact.

SARS is a respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus that was thought to have originated in Guangdong China but was not reported until

This virus is an extremely common cause of respiratory disease and often results in chronic, often life-long, infection with intermittent recurrences causing respiratory and sometimes eye disease. It is spread easily through airborne respiratory secretions and direct contact with a carrier cat or contaminated objects. Calicivirus a common viral infectious respiratory disease, it can also cause mouth sores resulting in severe oral pain. Spread by direct contact with an infected cat or by contact with contaminated objects. The virus is very resistant to disinfectants and persists in the environment. Panleukopenia a severe, highly infectious and sometimes fatal disease of the gastrointestinal tract, the immune system and the nervous system. The disease is named for the characteristic severe decrease in white blood cells, the body’s defense against disease. The virus is very persistent in the environment. This virus spreads by direct contact with infected cats or by contact with viral particles in the

Hantaviruses are a genus of virus that are single-stranded, negative-sensed RNA viruses with a tripartite genome, represented by 45 different species across a worldwide distribution (Dearing and Dizney, 2010). They are pathogens primarily hosted by small mammals, in the family Muridae, with rats and mice making up the majority of these hosts. Hantaviruses first came to be known when two major disease events occurring in the twentieth century lead to the discovery of both old and new world hantaviruses (Johnson et al 2010). Old world hantavirus were first discovered during the Korean War (1950-1953) when over 3,000 U.N and Korean soldiers became stricken with hemorrhagic fever with

In the laboratory setting, the virus was found in respiratory droplets, feces, saliva, tears and urine (WHO/DCDSR, 2003). SARS is primarily spread through close, personal contact, such as kissing, hugging, eating or drinking, as well as being within 3 feet of a person who coughs or sneezes while infected and shedding the virus. These activities allow the respiratory droplets shed during these activities to come in contact with mucous membranes found in the eyes, nose and mouth (Kutsar, 2004). Other modes of transmission include aerosolizing procedures in hospital settings and contamination of surfaces in “healthcare facilities, households and other closed environments” (Kutsar, 2004, para. 12). There has been no confirmation of fecal-oral transmission or of transmission via water or food; however, over one-third of the earliest cases in China were among food handlers (Kutsar, 2004). Finally, there is a possibility of animal vector transmission, as discussed in regards to the Hong Kong’s Amoy Gardens (WHO/DCDSR, 2003).

West Nile virus is found on every continent except Antarctic. “West Nile virus was first isolated in Uganda in 1937 from the blood of a native Ugandan woman, and until the end of the 20th century was considered a cause of viral encephalitis limited only in Africa and Asia.” It did not become a global concern until 1999 when it was introduced to North America.in New York City Hundreds to thousands of cases before 1996 were mostly in rural populations and were rarely severe. The primary host of West Nile virus is avian species, birds. Other infected organisms can include humans and other mammals with horses being the most common. The main way the disease is transmitted is through a bite of infected mosquitoes, specifically Culex species. The virus may also be transmitted between individuals through blood transfusions, organ transplantations, and although rare it can be transmitted from the mother to newborns either through intrauterine route or breast-feedings. West Nile virus can be dived into seven genetic lineage strains. “Lineage one is the most widespread, containing isolate found in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australia… Lineage two strains are mainly distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, but in the last decade they have been introduced in Europe. Lineage three contains a strain

A 75-year-old man from Middle East, who travelled from Oman with his family three days ago, was confirmed to have a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, the country’s first case of deadly epidemic after it hits South Korea. Rajata Rajatanayin, Thailand’s public health minister said that tests results confirmed that he obtain the virus. The virus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an extremely rare, deleterious disease caused by a type of viral pathogen called a coronavirus. The disease first appeared among residents of southern China, near Hong Kong, in 2002. Over the course of eight months, the disease spread to up to 8,000 individuals, 10% of which died. As a contagious viral pandemic, SARS diffused to nearly 30 countries by 2003, including Germany, Canada, and the United States. However, by 2004, all cases of SARS disappeared and have not reappeared anywhere since then. After considerable research, scientists discovered that the infection was caused by a single-stranded RNA coronavirus. The virus was so named due to the several corona-like “spikes” that were known to protrude from the molecule. Because SARS suddenly attracted widespread attention when it was first identified in China in 2002, the virus was classified as an emerging infectious disease.

Back in 1960s, there was an outbreak of coryza, also known as rhinitis, a contagious inflammatory disease involving the upper respiratory tract. In 1965, Dr. J.A. Morris and his colleagues were able to recover and isolate the pathogen that caused this outbreak from a captive chimpanzee. (Lambert, 2014) Through their research and study, they found out that Respiratory syncytial virus was causing the infection.

SARS appears to spread by close person-to-person contact. It is thought that transmission is most readily occurred through respiratory droplets. These can be produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets are propelled through the air and are deposited on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes of a person that is nearby. It is also possible that the virus can spread when a person touches a surface or object contaminated with infectious droplets and then touches their mouth, nose, or eyes. Furthermore, it is possible that SARS-CoV might be airborne spread or by other methods that are not yet known.

A number of studies have supported the theory that the virus had originally occurred in animals previous to human infections.5 The MERs-CoV virus is a type of coronavirus that has been known for infecting both birds and many species of mammals. These types of infections are commonly referred to as zoonotic diseases because the pathogens are able to be transferred from animals to humans. Zoonosis can happen with or without a vector in order to spread the infection. Although the exact origin of the MERs-CoV infections is unknown, there has been convincing research performed that has found related types of coronaviruses in bats and camels. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus is found in multiple species and can cause respiratory illness and gastrointestinal upset.

MERS-CoV is a respiratory disease that was first found in Saudi Arabia in 2012. This virus can cause people to get diseases such as the common cold to a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).