Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS Cov) outbreak so far exempted Sub Saharan Africa; is it good news or call for action?

• Main Author: Ballah Akawu Denue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Makhdoomi Printers 2015-01-01
• Series: Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health
• Online Access: http://gjmedph.com/uploads/C1-Vo4No5.pdf

The reported cases of MERS Cov in Arabian Peninsula and sporadic cases elsewhere except in sub Saharan Africa at present is disquieting considering its initial clinical feature that mimic flu like symptoms caused by other viruses. However MERS Cov is associated with organ dysfunction and high mortality. Although the mode of transmission is still unclear, it is postulated that it spreads through close contact, possibly via respiratory route. High similarities of MERS CoV carried by humans and camels may suggest that the diseases are zoonotic. Furthermore, airborne nosocomial transmission can occur in the room shared by the patients in the hospitals. There is still the confusion of transmission through body fluids or clinical samples, including stools and a cross transmission with medical devices or hands. Currently, all known cases can be directly or indirectly linked to Middle East from where it derives its name. Cases reported outside the Middle East first developed infection in the Middle East and then were exported outside the region. Several hospital-acquired outbreaks that resulted in upsurge of MERS Cov cases in Jeddah revealed lack of systematic implementation of infection prevention and control measures to effectively control emerging infectious diseases. The causative agent is detected and identified using Enzyme Linked Immuunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) that is expensive and not readily available in hospitals located in resource poor settings such as sub Saharan Africa. Although, so far no case of MERS Cov has been reported from sub Saharan Africa, the devastating consequences of MERS epidemic will be more catastrophic if it emerges in developing nations especially in sub Saharan Africa where there are no up to date facilities for investigations and management of such cases. Against this backdrop, we review this hazardous and incurable disease believing that it would create the necessary awareness among stakeholders to prepare for ‘alien’diseases like MERS Cov. Pilgrims all over the world visit Saudi Arabia for religious obligation (Hajj). This is a potential way this virus could be transmitted across the globe within a short span especially if an epidemic occurs during or towards the end of the hajj exercise.