phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at o:2408 DOI 10.3390/v15061288 MERS-CoV Found in Hyalomma dromedarii Ticks Attached to Dromedary Camels at a Livestock Market, United Arab Emirates, 2019 The main mode of transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) between dromedaries is likely via the respiratory route. However, there must be other modes to explain how the infection is brought to MERS-CoV-negative closed herds, such as transmission by ticks. Here, we present a study performed at three different locations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) involving 215 dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) and the ticks attached to them. We tested the camels and ticks via RT-(q)PCR for the presence of MERS-CoV nucleic acids, as well as flaviviruses that may be present in the region (e.g., Alkhumra hemorrhagic fever virus). Camel sera were additionally analyzed for evidence of previous exposure to MERS-CoV. In total, 8 out of 242 tick pools were positive for MERS-CoV RNA (3.3%; Ct 34.6-38.3), 7 of which contained Hyalomma dromedarii ticks, and one contained a Hyalomma sp. tick (species not identified). All of the virus-positive ticks' host camels were also positive for MERS-CoV RNA in their nasal swab samples. Short sequences established in the N gene region from two positive tick pools were identical to viral sequences from their hosts' nasal swabs. In total, 59.3% of dromedaries at the livestock market had MERS-CoV RNA in their nasal swabs (Ct 17.7-39.5). While dromedaries at all locations were negative for MERS-CoV RNA in their serum samples, antibodies were detected in 95.2% and 98.7% of them (tested by ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence test, respectively). Given the probably transient and/or low level of MERS-CoV viremia in dromedaries and the rather high Ct values observed in the ticks, it seems unlikely that Hyalomma dromedarii is a competent vector for MERS-CoV; however, its role in mechanical or fomite transmission between camels should be investigated. eng Animals; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirusgenetics; Camelus; Livestock; Coronavirus Infectionsepidemiologyveterinary; Ticks; United Arab Emiratesepidemiology; Ixodidae; RNA 2023-12-05T09:11:04.996Z LOMv1.0 Author BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Weidinger;Pia; FN:Pia Weidinger X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4028-4151 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Nowotny;Norbert; FN:Norbert Nowotny X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3548-571X END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Camp;Jeremy V.; FN:Jeremy V. Camp X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9040-5786 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Alsheikh-Ali;Alawi; FN:Alawi Alsheikh-Ali X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1213-4546 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Abou Tayoun;Ahmad; FN:Ahmad Abou Tayoun X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9134-1673 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Karuvantevida;Noushad; FN:Noushad Karuvantevida END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Wolf;Nadine; FN:Nadine Wolf END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Mazrooei;Hessa; FN:Hessa Mazrooei END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Sher Shah;Moayyed; FN:Moayyed Sher Shah END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Howarth;Brigitte; FN:Brigitte Howarth X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9128-4293 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Khafaga;Tamer; FN:Tamer Khafaga X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3045-0323 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Osman;Babiker Mohammed; FN:Babiker Mohammed Osman END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Kannan;Dafalla O.; FN:Dafalla O. Kannan X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5819-0028 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Loney;Tom; FN:Tom Loney X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1687-6587 END:VCARD BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:3.0 N:Kolodziejek;Jolanta; FN:Jolanta Kolodziejek X-ORCID:https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5736-3644 END:VCARD https://w3id.org/kim/hcrt/scheme https://w3id.org/kim/hcrt/text Textdokument Text LOMv1.0 yes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 application/pdf 414434 https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:2408 https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/api/object/o:2408/thumbnail LOMv1.0 discipline