CDC: Lack of MERS Coronavirus Neutralizing Antibodies in Humans, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

 Emerging Infectious Diseases - Ahead of Print

Volume 19, Number 12—December 2013

Stefanie Gierer¹, Heike Hofmann-Winkler¹, Waleed H. Albuali, Stephanie Bertram, Abdullah M. Al-Rubaish, Abdullah A. Yousef, Awatif N. Al-Nafaie, Amein K. Al-Ali, Obeid E. Obeid, Khaled R. Alkharsah, and Stefan Pöhlmann¹ 

Author affiliations: German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany (S. Gierer, H. Hofmann-Winkler, S. Bertram, S. Pöhlmann); University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia (W.H. Albuali, A.M. Al-Rubaish, A.A. Yousef, A.N. Al-Nafaie, A.K. Al-Ali, O.E. Obeid, K.R. Alkharsah).

 

Abstract

We used a lentiviral vector bearing the viral spike protein to detect neutralizing antibodies against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in persons from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. None of the 268 samples tested displayed neutralizing activity, which suggests that MERS-CoV infections in humans are infrequent in this province.

Complete article:  http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/12/13-0701_article.htm