Risk factors for MERS coronavirus infection in dromedary camels in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Morocco, 2015
Eurosurveillance·
- DOI
- 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2017.22.13.30498
- PMID
- 28382915
- PMCID
- PMC5388105
- OpenAlex
- W2604523341
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The study provides evidence on MERS-CoV circulation in African dromedary camel populations and identifies risk factors relevant to zoonotic transmission pathways from camels to humans.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study aimed to identify risk factors for MERS-CoV infection in dromedary camels across three African countries with diverse breeding conditions.
Study design
Cross-sectional serological and virological survey conducted in February-March 2015. Blood samples and nasal swabs were collected from dromedary camels in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Morocco.
Population and setting
Dromedary camels bred under diverse conditions in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Morocco. Camels were classified by herd size, breeding purpose (milk, meat, or transport), and management system (nomadic, sedentary, or mixed).
Main findings
MERS-CoV RNA detection rates varied by country, with Ethiopia showing the highest rate at 15.7%, followed by Burkina Faso at 12.2% and Morocco at 7.6%. RNA detection was higher in camels bred for milk or meat compared to transport animals and in younger animals. Seropositivity rates were very high in Morocco and Ethiopia (up to 100% and 99.4% respectively) and lower in Burkina Faso at 84.6%. Seropositivity was associated with larger herd size, breeding for milk or meat rather than transport, and nomadic or sedentary management compared to mixed systems.
Public-health relevance
The study provides evidence on MERS-CoV circulation in African dromedary camel populations and identifies risk factors relevant to zoonotic transmission pathways from camels to humans.
Important limitations
This summary relies on the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. Access to the full paper would be required for decision-grade interpretation, including methodological details, sample sizes per subgroup, statistical methods, and potential confounding factors.
GIDS interpretation
The paper was identified through classifier links to MERS, SARS, and COVID-19 disease categories and to the three study countries, enabling discovery in the context of coronavirus surveillance in animal reservoirs. The study provides baseline data on MERS-CoV in African camel populations but does not represent an active outbreak signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 14 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.