Dynamics of scientific publications on the MERS-CoV outbreaks in Saudi Arabia

Journal of Infection and Public Health
Volume 10, Issue 6, November–December 2017, Pages 702-710

Ali A. Rabaan, Shamsah H. Al-Ahmed, Ali M.Bazzi, and Jaffar A. Al-Tawfiq

Abstract

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging disease with a relatively high case fatality rate. Most cases have been reported from Saudi Arabia, and the disease epidemic potential is considered to be limited. However, human–human transmission has occurred, usually in the context of healthcare facility-associated outbreaks. The scientific and medical community depends on timely publication of epidemiological information on emerging diseases during outbreaks to appropriately target public health responses. In this review, we considered the academic response to four MERS CoV outbreaks that occurred in Al-Hasa in 2013, Jeddah in 2014 and Riyadh in 2014 and 2015. We analysed 68 relevant epidemiology articles. For articles for which submission dates were available, six articles were submitted during the course of an outbreak. One article was published within a month of the Al-Hasa outbreak, and one each was accepted during the Jeddah and Riyadh outbreaks. MERS-CoV epidemiology articles were cited more frequently than articles on other subjects in the same journal issues. Thus, most epidemiology articles on MERS-CoV were published with no preferential advantage over other articles. Collaboration of the research community and the scientific publishing industry is needed to facilitate timely publication of emerging infectious diseases.

Keywords

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Outbreak, Epidemiology, Publication, Saudi Arabia, MERS-CoV

Identification and evaluation of potent Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) 3CLPro inhibitors

Antiviral Research
Volume 141, May 2017, Pages 101-106

Vathan Kumar, Jin Soo Shin, Jiun-Jie Shie, Keun BonKu, Chonsaeng Kim, Yun Young Go, Kai-Fa Huang, Meehyein Kim, and Po-Huang Liang

Abstract

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe acute respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Up to date, it has resulted in 1826 human infections, including 649 deaths. Analogous to picornavirus 3C protease (3Cpro), 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is critical for initiation of the MERS-CoV replication cycle and is thus regarded as a validated drug target. As presented here, our peptidomimetic inhibitors of enterovirus 3Cpro (6b, 6c and 6d) inhibited 3CLpro of MERS-CoV and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) with IC50 values ranging from 1.7 to 4.7 μM and from 0.2 to 0.7 μM, respectively. In MERS-CoV-infected cells, the inhibitors showed antiviral activity with EC50 values ranging from 0.6 to 1.4 μM, by downregulating the viral protein production in cells as well as reducing secretion of infectious viral particles into culture supernatants. They also suppressed other α- and β-CoVs from human and feline origin. These compounds exhibited good selectivity index (over 70 against MERS-CoV) and could lead to the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs against emerging CoVs and picornaviruses.

Keywords

MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, 3C-like protease, Peptidomimetic inhibitor, Coronavirus, Picornavirus

SARS-CoV-Encoded Small RNAs Contribute to Infection-Associated Lung Pathology

Cell Host and Microbes
Volume 21, Issue 3, 8 March 2017, Pages 344-355

Lucía Morales, Juan Carlos Oliveros, Raúl Fernandez-Delgado, Benjamin Robertten Oever, Luis Enjuanes, and Isabel Sola

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) causes lethal disease in humans, which is characterized by exacerbated inflammatory response and extensive lung pathology. To address the relevance of small non-coding RNAs in SARS-CoV pathology, we deep sequenced RNAs from the lungs of infected mice and discovered three 18–22 nt small viral RNAs (svRNAs). The three svRNAs were derived from the nsp3 (svRNA-nsp3.1 and -nsp3.2) and N (svRNA-N) genomic regions of SARS-CoV. Biogenesis of CoV svRNAs was RNase III, cell type, and host species independent, but it was dependent on the extent of viral replication. Antagomir-mediated inhibition of svRNA-N significantly reduced in vivo lung pathology and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Taken together, these data indicate that svRNAs contribute to SARS-CoV pathogenesis and highlight the potential of svRNA-N antagomirs as antivirals.

Keywords

coronavirus, SARS-CoV, small viral RNAs, virus-host interaction, lung inflammatory pathology, antagomirs, deep sequencing, non-coding RNAs, innate immune response, antiviral

T-cell immunity of SARS-CoV: Implications for vaccine development against MERS-CoV

Antiviral Research
Volume 137, January 2017, Pages 82-92

William J .Liu, Min Zhao,Kefang Liu, Kun Xud, Gary Wong, Wenjie Tan, George F. Gao

Abstract

Over 12 years have elapsed since severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) triggered the first global alert for coronavirus infections. Virus transmission in humans was quickly halted by public health measures and human infections of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) have not been observed since. However, other coronaviruses still pose a continuous threat to human health, as exemplified by the recent emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in humans. The work on SARS-CoV widens our knowledge on the epidemiology, pathophysiology and immunology of coronaviruses and may shed light on MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV). It has been confirmed that T-cell immunity plays an important role in recovery from SARS-CoV infection. Herein, we summarize T-cell immunological studies of SARS-CoV and discuss the potential cross-reactivity of the SARS-CoV-specific immunity against MERS-CoV, which may provide useful recommendations for the development of broad-spectrum vaccines against coronavirus infections.

Keywords

SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Vaccine, T-cell, Epitope, Cross-reactivity

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak in South Korea, 2015: epidemiology, characteristics and public health implications

Journal of Hospital Infection
Volume 95, Issue 2, February 2017, Pages 207-213

K. H. Kim, T. E. Tandi, J. W. Choi, J. M. Moon, M. S. Kimab

Summary

Since the first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in South Korea was reported on 20th May 2015, there have been 186 confirmed cases, 38 deaths and 16,752 suspected cases. Previously published research on South Korea's MERS outbreak was limited to the early stages, when few data were available. Now that the outbreak has ended, albeit unofficially, a more comprehensive review is appropriate.

Methods

Data were obtained through the MERS portal by the Ministry for Health and Welfare (MOHW) and Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, press releases by MOHW, and reports by the MERS Policy Committee of the Korean Medical Association. Cases were analysed for general characteristics, exposure source, timeline and infection generation. Sex, age and underlying diseases were analysed for the 38 deaths.

Findings

Beginning with the index case that infected 28 others, an in-depth analysis was conducted. The average age was 55 years, which was a little higher than the global average of 50 years. As in most other countries, more men than women were affected. The case fatality rate was 19.9%, which was lower than the global rate of 38.7% and the rate in Saudi Arabia (36.5%). In total, 184 patients were infected nosocomially and there were no community-acquired infections. The main underlying diseases were respiratory diseases, cancer and hypertension. The main contributors to the outbreak were late diagnosis, quarantine failure of ‘super spreaders’, familial care-giving and visiting, non-disclosure by patients, poor communication by the South Korean Government, inadequate hospital infection management, and ‘doctor shopping’. The outbreak was entirely nosocomial, and was largely attributable to infection management and policy failures, rather than biomedical factors.

Keywords

MERS-CoV outbreak, Epidemiology, Public health, South Korea