Short description
MERS stands for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and refers to an infection of the airways that is caused by the novel MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

Detailed description

The responsible virus was discovered in 2012 for the first time. Until now, all human cases had their origin on the Arabian Peninsula. The disease can progress almost unnoticed or have a very serious course with high fatality. MERS-CoV is a zoonotic pathogen, meaning it is transmitted between animals, in this case dromedaries, and people. Human-to-human transmission has been proven, too, mostly in hospitals. There is no increased risk of infection with MERS-CoV in Germany at present.