Qatar experience on One Health approach for middle-east respiratory syndrome coronavirus, 2012–2017: A viewpoint

Farag, Elmoubasher; Nour, Mohamed; Islam, Md. Mazharul; Mustafa, Aya; Khalid, Minahil; Sikkema, Reina S.; Alhajri, Forhud; Bu-Sayaa, Abdulla; Haroun, Mohamed; Van Kerkhove, Maria D.; Elkholy, Amgad; Malik, Sk. Mamunur R.; Reusken, Chantal; Koopmans, Marion; AlHajri, Mohd M.

The emergence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Middle East in 2012 [1] has remained a public health concern particularly in the Arabian Peninsula till the present time. Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) have been found to be the natural reservoir from which the viral spill-over to humans can occur. Camels show no or minor clinical signs if infected with MERS-CoV [2] . As of the end of February 2019, 2374 laboratory confirmed human cases worldwide, including 823 associated deaths (case-fatality rate: 34.6%), have been reported. The majority of these cases were reported from Saudi Arabia (1983 cases, including 745 related deaths) [3] . In Qatar, a total of 24 human cases have been reported along with 8 related deaths. At the beginning of the MERS outbreak in 2012, the lack of knowledge, particularly on the mode and speed of transmission of this novel virus, challenged the healthcare systems in Qatar as well as the entire Gulf region, amid fears that transmission could readily happen between humans. The unfamiliarity of the responding agencies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with such an extraordinary threat heightened the concerns of the affected communities in Qatar as MERS cases continued to be reported from all neighbouring GCC countries. Moreover, the GCC countries are characterised with intensive movement of people and camels across the borders.