One-Day Symposium on MERS Co-V
A one-day symposium on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS Co-V) was held on August 4, 2014 in Avicenna Hall of the SBMU Medical School.
At the beginning of the symposium Prof. Masoud Mardani, Professor of the Infectious Disease Department and a member of the board of founders of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, said that MERS Co-Vhas been recognized for the first time in the world, although etiology and source of the disease as well as ways of transmission have yet remained unknown. In 2002, a fatal respiratory disease induced by MERS Co-Vwas diagnosed whose signs were similar to those of influenza including fever, cough and respiratory problems. This disease, in its early epidemic stages, was mistaken for SARS disease.
This virus takes its name from its crown shape. There are many different theories to explain the origin of this life threatening virus, however there is a hypothesis which considers animals as the main source of the disease. Therefore, exposure to or contact with infected animals, in particular camels, could result in disease transfer to human.
Patients with respiratory, cardiac and renal disease history, patients with weak immune system for any reason, children and pregnant women are at risk of severe type of MERS Co-Vwhich may lead to hospitalization and even death.