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Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), also known as camel flu, is a viral respiratory infection caused by the MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV).〔 Symptoms may range from mild to severe.〔 They include fever, cough, diarrhea, and shortness of breath.〔 Disease is typically more severe in those with other health problems.〔 MERS-CoV is a betacoronavirus derived from bats.〔 Camels have been shown to have antibodies to MERS-CoV but the exact source of infection in camels has not been identified. Camels are believed to be involved in its spread to humans but it is unclear how.〔 Spread between humans typically requires close contact with an infected person.〔 Its spread is uncommon outside of hospitals.〔 Thus, its risk to the global population is currently deemed to be fairly low.〔 As of 2015 there is no specific vaccine or treatment for the disease.〔 However, a number of antiviral medications are currently being studied.〔 The World Health Organization recommends that those who come in contact with camels wash their hands frequently and do not touch sick camels.〔 They also recommend that camel products be appropriately cooked.〔 Among those who are infected treatments that help with the symptoms may be given.〔 Just over 1000 cases of the disease have been reported as of May 2015.〔 About 40% of those who become infected die from the disease.〔 The first identified case occurred in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and most cases have occurred in the Arabian Peninsula.〔 A strain of MERS-CoV known as HCoV-EMC/2012 found in the first infected person in London in 2012 was found to have a 100% match to Egyptian tomb bats. A large outbreak occurred in the Republic of Korea in 2015. ==Signs and symptoms== Early reports〔 compared the virus to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and it has been referred to as Saudi Arabia's SARS-like virus.〔 The first person, in June 2012, had a "seven-day history of fever, cough, expectoration, and shortness of breath."〔 One review of 47 laboratory confirmed cases in Saudi Arabia gave the most common presenting symptoms as fever in 98%, cough in 83%, shortness of breath in 72% and myalgia in 32% of people. There were also frequent gastrointestinal symptoms with diarrhea in 26%, vomiting in 21%, abdominal pain in 17% of people. 72% of people required mechanical ventilation. There were also 3.3 males for every female.〔 One study of a hospital-based outbreak of MERS had an estimated incubation period of 5.5 days (95% confidence interval 1.9 to 14.7 days).〔 MERS can range from asymptomatic disease to severe pneumonia leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).〔 Kidney failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and pericarditis have also been reported.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Middle East respiratory syndrome」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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