While the World Cup is coming to an end in Qatar, the health authorities of Great Britain warn of the high spread of a virus that is not new – in Italy it has already been known since 2012 – but, they warn, it can be more lethal than Covid . It is called “Mers” but it is also nicknamed “camel flu” because it is a viral form that passes from camels to humans. The first cases were detected on Qatari territory. but the disease is also arriving in Italy, linked to the return of fans from the World Cup. So let’s see what this virus is, what the symptoms and numbers are.
What is Mers or “camel flu”
Mers means “Middle East Respiratory Syndrome” (Middle East respiratory syndrome): it is an infection that affects the respiratory tract very severely and belongs to the Coronavirus family, is a cousin of Sars-CoV2, and is known as “Mers- CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome”. The disease is not new and has been known in Italy since 2012. It is a viral form that passes from camels to humans. People can protect themselves by reporting symptoms to their GP, in case they have had contact with someone who has returned from Qatar.
What are the symptoms
Those infected with the “camel flu” can experience the classic mild respiratory symptoms, fever and cough, which can lead to severe pneumonia, causing shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. The infected, when the disease degenerates, accuse gastrointestinal problems and renal failure. The virus appears to cause more serious illness in older people, those with weakened immune systems, and anyone with ailments such as cancer, chronic lung problems, diabetes, and kidney disease.
How the infection occurs
From what has been learned, the contagion occurs by being in close contact with camels or with an infected person, but not only: one can also become infected by consuming food derived from these animals, such as milk for example, especially if it has not been pasteurized.
The diffusion
The virus was first recognized in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It then spread to countries in the Middle East such as: Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It is believed that the main reservoir of the virus is bats, but the passage to humans probably takes place thanks to camels, the cases of Mers that have occurred in recent years have mainly concentrated in subjects in close contact with animals.
The numbers
The World Health Organization (WHO) specifies that 2,600 cases of Mers have been diagnosed worldwide since 2012, mainly concentrated in Middle Eastern countries. Of these, 935 were fatal, equal to 36% of the total. Therefore, data in hand, this type of flu is much more lethal than Covid, because the latter has a mortality rate of 4%. The highest number of cases was detected in 2014, with hundreds of infections; the number decreased year after year, reaching a few dozen in 2021 and only 6 cases in 2022, two of which were registered in Qatar (most infections are historically concentrated in Saudi Arabia).
The guide
The UK Health Security Agency has provided specific guidance and advice for travelers to the Middle East. The Australian Ministry of Health also issued a similar note to that of the UKHSA, indicating that “anyone traveling from the Middle East, including returning to Australia after participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, should be aware of respiratory syndrome Middle East (MERS)’.
