Observational studyThe Lancet. Infectious diseases2021
T-cell responses to MERS coronavirus infection in people with occupational exposure to dromedary camels in Nigeria: an observational cohort study.
Observational study in The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- Camel (International journal of molecular sciences · 2022Pooled it
- Recent Advances in Camel Immunology.Frontiers in immunology · 2020Pooled it
- Article
- Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Risk Perception of MERS-CoV and Other Coronaviruses Among Health Care Workers in Northern Kenya.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2026Article
- Cross-clade vaccination to overcome sarbecovirus or merbecovirus neutralization gaps.Cell reports · 2026Article
- Q1020R in the spike proteins of MERS-CoV from Arabian camels confers resistance against soluble human DPP4.Journal of virology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal analysis of humoral and cellular immunity in SARS-CoV-2 exposed families.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Molecular basis of convergent evolution of ACE2 receptor utilization among HKU5 coronaviruses.Cell · 2025Article
- Article
- Article
- Ongoing Evolution of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, 2023-2024.Emerging infectious diseases · 2025Article
- On-site detection of MERS-CoV infections in a camel slaughterhouse in Kenya using a commercial rapid antigen test.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
- Molecular basis of convergent evolution of ACE2 receptor utilization among HKU5 coronaviruses.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Identification of a Spike-Specific CD8+ T-Cell Epitope Following Vaccination Against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus in Humans.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Infectious disease responses to human climate change adaptations.Global change biology · 2024Review
- The Influence of Cross-Reactive T Cells in COVID-19.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Silent battles: immune responses in asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.Cellular & molecular immunology · 2024Review
- COVID-19 Crisis in Brazil: Post-Vaccination Seroprevalence and Infection in More and Less Vaccinated Municipalities in a Northeastern State.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- MERS-CoV seroconversion amongst Malaysian Hajj pilgrims returning from the Middle East, 2016-2018: results from the MERCURIAL multiyear prospective cohort study.Emerging microbes & infections · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 6 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMiddle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) remains of global public health concern. Dromedary camels are the source of zoonotic infection. Over 70% of MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV)-infected dromedaries are found in Africa but no zoonotic disease has been reported in Africa. We aimed to understand whether individuals with exposure to dromedaries in Africa had been infected by MERS-CoV.
methodsWorkers slaughtering dromedaries in an abattoir in Kano, Nigeria, were compared with abattoir workers without direct dromedary contact, non-abattoir workers from Kano, and controls from Guangzhou, China. Exposure to dromedaries was ascertained using a questionnaire. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were tested for MERS-CoV specific neutralising antibody and T-cell responses.
findingsNone of the participants from Nigeria or Guangdong were MERS-CoV seropositive. 18 (30%) of 61 abattoir workers with exposure to dromedaries, but none of 20 abattoir workers without exposure (p=0·0042), ten non-abattoir workers or 24 controls from Guangzhou (p=0·0002) had evidence of MERS-CoV-specific CD4
interpretationZoonotic infection of dromedary-exposed individuals is taking place in Nigeria and suggests that the extent of MERS-CoV infections in Africa is underestimated. MERS-CoV could therefore adapt to human transmission in Africa rather than the Arabian Peninsula, where attention is currently focused.
fundingThe National Science and Technology Major Project, National Institutes of Health.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.