MERS-CoV in Africa—an enigma with relevance to COVID-19

Editorial: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – advances in epidemiology, diagnostics, treatments, host-directed therapies, pathogenesis, vaccines, and ongoing challenges

“…This also applies to the continuing circulation of MERS-CoV in the Middle East 8 years after first discovery [18]. Of concern is the first report of MERS-CoV infection from West Africa [19,20].…”

Practicability of serological assays for upscaling COVID-19 laboratory testing in Africa

“…Hence, the impact of cross-reaction of related viruses on the serological test has little or no effect on the precision of test results. Even though MERS-CoV continues to circulate in the Arabian Peninsula, including countries boarding North Africa, there have not been any confirmed human MERS-CoV infection in Africa, despite the frequent occupational and domestic contact between dromedary animals and humans [ 21 ]. However, there is a need for further studies of MERS-CoV at the animal-to-human interface, especially with the recent report on the absence of serological evidence of human MERS-CoV infection in Nigeria [ 22 ].…”

Investigation of the Host Kinome Response to Coronavirus Infection Reveals PI3K/mTOR Inhibitors as Betacoronavirus Antivirals

“…Coronaviruses (CoVs) commonly cause cold-like symptoms and lower respiratory tract infections in humans and are agricultural pathogens of concern for multiple livestock species. − Over the past 20 years, three highly pathogenic CoVs have emerged from animal reservoirs to cause human disease; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). − SARS-CoV was controlled through public health intervention strategies that limited human transmission, but MERS-CoV remains endemic in camels in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, causing a low number of human cases annually. , SARS-CoV-2 has shown the true pandemic potential of CoVs, causing about 760 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, ∼6.9 million of which resulted in death . While deployment of multiple vaccine platforms has managed to curb the severe disease incidence of COVID-19, antigenic variation has led to persistence of SARS-CoV-2 spread and continued mortality. , COVID-19 survivors may also experience long COVID in the presence and absence of virus infection, resulting in neurologic, pulmonary, cardiac, and renal complications, dictating a need to identify and target conserved host signaling pathways that function in acute and chronic disease. , Moreover, a wealth of zoonotic CoVs display a broad host range and the capacity to use human receptors for entry in primary cells, and development of further therapeutic options will be necessary to reduce viral replication and disease burden against contemporary, emerging, and future CoV disease. − …”