P. Vinod Kumar

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness which caused by a beta corona virus. The initial occurrence of MERS-CoV was thought to have particular predominance for male patients and those with comorbid diseases. Median incubation period of a MERS-CoV infection is 5 days. Potential risk factors are obesity, diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal disease, cardiac disease, hypertension, lung disease, including asthma and cystic fibrosis, and any immunosuppressive condition. Clinical symptoms include gastro-intestinal, respiratory, chest pain, malaise, myalgia, fever etc. Complications are ventricular tachycardia, cardiac arrest, pericarditis and multi-organ failure. Treatment for MERS CoV is not clear. The control of MERS-CoV infection relies on prompt identification of cases within health care facilities, with institutions applying appropriate infection control measures. In addition, determining the exact route of transmission from camels to humans would further add to the control measures of MERS-CoV infection.