Yesterday, the media from Italy reported that an additional
10 to 12 individuals were infected with the MERS-CoV, but the
individuals were asymptomatic. These individuals reportedly included doctors
and nurses. Today, a second round of testing on eight of these individuals
produced negative results [1]. Based on
the number of confirmed cases to date, MERS-CoV is a deadly disease. The presence
or absence of asymptomatic or mild cases of MERS-CoV is an important component in
understanding how this disease spreads. Hopefully, the confusion over the
number of infected individuals and the MERS-CoV testing results will be cleared up soon
by public health officials in Italy.
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Map: MERS-CoV Clusters in Europe and North Africa, June 3, 2013
The announcement today of an additional 10-12 asymptomatic MERS cases in Florence, Italy, raises the specter of silent human-to-human transmission. The map depicts the locations of clusters of confirmed and suspected MERS-CoV cases in Europe and North Africa.
An Expanding Cluster of MERS-CoV Cases in Italy
As of yesterday, three confirmed cases of MERS-CoV were reported
in Italy.[1] Today, another 10+ asymptomatic cases have been reported by the
media in Florence.[2-4] It is difficult to draw a conclusion from these media
reports.
Are these individuals actually positive for the MERS-CoV
virus?
Is this a local coronavirus variant that is spreading from
the initial index case in Italy?
Does this indicate that MERS-CoV is actually a wide-spread coronavirus,
a coronavirus with less virulence than expected?
More questions than answers now until official results are
presented.
[2] http://www.giornalettismo.com/archives/964227/coronavirus-dieci-casi-positivi-di-nuova-sars-in-italia/ h/t tetano
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