Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome

Everett Han
May 21st, 2014

Published: May 12, 2014

URL: http://www.ibtimes.com/what-mers-all-about-middle-east-respiratory-syndrome-photo-1583183

Summary: A 44 year old man came to the United States to visit his family, and last Friday, he was admitted to the hospital. He is thought to have an respiratory disease known as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is caused by a beta coronavirus, a common virus that causes mild to moderate respiratory illness in those whom it effects. Most people who suffer from the MERS-CoV infection go on to develop severe acute respiratory illnesses. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. This disease kills about a third of its victims. It also does not have a cure or a treatment. This virus first appeared in 2012, and the disease then infected the Arabian peninsula, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Yemen and Lebanon all reporting cases of the disease within their countries.The origins of MERS is unknown, although it is believed that animals, such as camels and bats, were the source of the disease. The virus currently spreads from human to human when people infected with MERS come in close contact with someone who has the disease. 

Connection: This connects to our unit in bio because the respiratory system was a large part of this unit. This disease relates to the respiratory system because it is a respiratory disease and affects the system. It causes coughing and shortness of breath, suggesting that homeostasis is being disrupted. Coughing is the way of removing bacteria and pollutants from our body which suggests that bacteria has entered our bodies. Shortness of breath suggests that this disease if affecting your ability to take in oxygen which suggests some damage to a structure in the respiratory system.