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Ngere I, Hunsperger EA, Tong S, Oyugi J, Jaoko W, Harcourt JL, Thornburg NJ, Oyas H, Muturi M, Osoro EM, Gachohi J, Ombok C, Dawa J, Tao Y, Zhang J, Mwasi L, Ochieng C, Mwatondo A, Bodha B, Langat D, Herman-Roloff A, Njenga MK, Widdowson MA, Munyua PM. Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus in Camels and Probable Spillover Infection to Humans in Kenya. Viruses 2022; 14:1743. [PMID: 36016365 PMCID: PMC9413448 DOI: 10.3390/v14081743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of Kenya’s > 3 million camels have antibodies against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), although human infection in Africa is rare. We enrolled 243 camels aged 0−24 months from 33 homesteads in Northern Kenya and followed them between April 2018 to March 2020. We collected and tested camel nasal swabs for MERS-CoV RNA by RT-PCR followed by virus isolation and whole genome sequencing of positive samples. We also documented illnesses (respiratory or other) among the camels. Human camel handlers were also swabbed, screened for respiratory signs, and samples were tested for MERS-CoV by RT-PCR. We recorded 68 illnesses among 58 camels, of which 76.5% (52/68) were respiratory signs and the majority of illnesses (73.5% or 50/68) were recorded in 2019. Overall, 124/4692 (2.6%) camel swabs collected from 83 (34.2%) calves in 15 (45.5%) homesteads between April−September 2019 screened positive, while 22 calves (26.5%) recorded reinfections (second positive swab following ≥ 2 consecutive negative tests). Sequencing revealed a distinct Clade C2 virus that lacked the signature ORF4b deletions of other Clade C viruses. Three previously reported human PCR positive cases clustered with the camel infections in time and place, strongly suggesting sporadic transmission to humans during intense camel outbreaks in Northern Kenya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Ngere
- Washington State University Global Health Program, Washington State University, Nairobi P.O. Box 72938 00200, Kenya
- Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676 00100, Kenya
| | - Elizabeth A. Hunsperger
- Division of Global Health Protection, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi P.O. Box 40241 00621, Kenya
| | - Suxiang Tong
- Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Julius Oyugi
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676 00100, Kenya
| | - Walter Jaoko
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676 00100, Kenya
| | - Jennifer L. Harcourt
- Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Natalie J. Thornburg
- Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Harry Oyas
- Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Nairobi P.O. Box 30028 00100, Kenya
| | - Mathew Muturi
- Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Nairobi P.O. Box 30028 00100, Kenya
- Dahlem Research School, Freie Universität Berlin, Kaiserswerther Str. 16-18, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Eric M. Osoro
- Washington State University Global Health Program, Washington State University, Nairobi P.O. Box 72938 00200, Kenya
- Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - John Gachohi
- Washington State University Global Health Program, Washington State University, Nairobi P.O. Box 72938 00200, Kenya
- School of Public Health, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi P.O. Box 62000 00200, Kenya
| | - Cynthia Ombok
- Washington State University Global Health Program, Washington State University, Nairobi P.O. Box 72938 00200, Kenya
- Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Jeanette Dawa
- Washington State University Global Health Program, Washington State University, Nairobi P.O. Box 72938 00200, Kenya
- Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Ying Tao
- Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Lydia Mwasi
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi P.O. Box 54840 00200, Kenya
| | - Caroline Ochieng
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi P.O. Box 54840 00200, Kenya
| | - Athman Mwatondo
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi P.O. Box 19676 00100, Kenya
- Kenya Ministry of Health, Nairobi P.O. Box 30016 00100, Kenya
| | - Boku Bodha
- Department of Veterinary and Livestock, County Government of Marsabit, Marsabit 60500, Kenya
| | - Daniel Langat
- Kenya Ministry of Health, Nairobi P.O. Box 30016 00100, Kenya
| | - Amy Herman-Roloff
- Division of Global Health Protection, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi P.O. Box 40241 00621, Kenya
| | - M. Kariuki Njenga
- Washington State University Global Health Program, Washington State University, Nairobi P.O. Box 72938 00200, Kenya
- Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Marc-Alain Widdowson
- Division of Global Health Protection, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi P.O. Box 40241 00621, Kenya
| | - Peninah M. Munyua
- Division of Global Health Protection, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Kenya, Nairobi P.O. Box 40241 00621, Kenya
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