The Lancet and the Lancet series of journals

Chantal BEM Reusken PhD, Bart L Haagmans PhD, Marcel A Müller PhD, Prof Carlos Gutierrez PhD, Gert-Jan Godeke BSc, Benjamin Meyer MSc, Doreen Muth PhD, V Stalin Raj PhD, Laura Smits-De Vries MSc, Victor M Corman MD, Jan-Felix Drexler MD, Saskia L Smits PhD, Yasmin E El Tahir PhD, Rita De Sousa PhD, Janko van Beek MSc, Prof Norbert Nowotny PhD, Kees van Maanen PhD, Ezequiel Hidalgo-Hermoso DVM, Berend-Jan Bosch PhD, Prof Peter Rottier PhD, Prof Albert Osterhaus PhD, Christian Gortázar-Schmidt PhD, Prof Christian Drosten MD, Prof Marion PG Koopmans PhD

 

Background
A new betacoronavirus—Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)—has been identified in patients with severe acute respiratory infection. Although related viruses infect bats, molecular clock analyses have been unable to identify direct ancestors of MERS-CoV. Anecdotal exposure histories suggest that patients had been in contact with dromedary camels or goats. We investigated possible animal reservoirs of MERS-CoV by assessing specific serum antibodies in livestock.

Methods
We took sera from animals in the Middle East (Oman) and from elsewhere (Spain, Netherlands, Chile). Cattle (n=80), sheep (n=40), goats (n=40), dromedary camels (n=155), and various other camelid species (n=34) were tested for specific serum IgG by protein microarray using the receptor-binding S1 subunits of spike proteins of MERS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and human coronavirus OC43. Results were confirmed by virus neutralisation tests for MERS-CoV and bovine coronavirus.

Findings
50 of 50 (100%) sera from Omani camels and 15 of 105 (14%) from Spanish camels had protein-specific antibodies against MERS-CoV spike. Sera from European sheep, goats, cattle, and other camelids had no such antibodies. MERS-CoV neutralising antibody titres varied between 1/320 and 1/2560 for the Omani camel sera and between 1/20 and 1/320 for the Spanish camel sera. There was no evidence for cross-neutralisation by bovine coronavirus antibodies.

Interpretation
MERS-CoV or a related virus has infected camel populations. Both titres and seroprevalences in sera from different locations in Oman suggest widespread infection.

Funding
European Union, European Centre For Disease Prevention and Control, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

 

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