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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2015 Jun 29;
Authors: Hui DS, Peiris M
Abstract
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection has recently spread to Korean Republic (KOR), China, and Thailand. The outbreaks in Korean Republic are characterised by super-spreading events involving several healthcare facilities. The factors leading to the major nosocomial outbreaks in KOR include unfamiliarity among the clinicians with MERS-CoV infection, poor infection control and prevention measures, overcrowding in emergency rooms and medical wards, doctor shopping and invitation of family members and friends to stay in already crowded hospital environment. The role of environmental contamination, poor ward ventilation and aerosol generating procedures would require further investigation as contributing factors to the major nosocomial outbreaks. While the spread of MERS-CoV infection to KOR, China, and Thailand has posed challenges to the clinicians and hospital administrators, this has also provided an opportunity to try to tackle many unanswered questions, including the mode and risk factors of MERS-CoV transmission in healthcare settings, pathogenesis, prognostic factors, viral kinetics in relation to infectivity, serological response, and optimal treatment including the role of convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibody.
PMID: 26120749 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]