BIOLOGYCAL PAPER
Middle east respiratory
syndrome (MERS)
Arranged by:
AMIRA NISRINA NASHITA
X-2
TABLE OF CONTENT
TABLE OF CONTENT...........................................................................................1
CHAPTER I:Introduction........................................................................................2
A. Background of Problem.................................................................................2
B. Formulation of Problem.................................................................................2
CHAPTER II:MERS................................................................................................3
A. What is MERS?..............................................................................................3
B. Symptoms.......................................................................................................3
C. Causes.............................................................................................................4
D. Risk Factor......................................................................................................5
E. Diagnosis.........................................................................................................5
F. Treatment........................................................................................................6
G. Prevention.......................................................................................................6
CHAPTER III:Conclusion.......................................................................................7
BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................8
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CHAPTER I:
Introduction
A. Background of Problem
The task of this paper was made by order of my biology teacher, Mrs.
Temu Rahayu. In this paper i will discuss about MERS (Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome). MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus, which means it is a virus that is
transmitted between animals and people. Studies have shown that humans are
infected through direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels.
MERS-CoV has been identified in dromedaries in several countries,
including Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and MERS-CoV specific
antibodies (a finding that indicates an animal has previously been infected with
MERS-CoV) have been identified in dromedaries in the Middle East, Africa and
South Asia. I chose this topic because the virus is very viral last few years because
it resulted in the number of victims is not small. I hope the materials and topics
that I present can be useful for the readers
B. Formulation of Problem
1. What is MERS Virus?
2. What are the causes of MERS Virus?
3. What are the symptoms of Mers Virus ?
4. How to transmit the MERS Virus?
5. How to prevent and treat the MERS Virus?
CHAPTER II:
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MERS
A. WHAT IS MERS?
MERS-CoV belongs to
the coronavirus family, the
same family of viruses that
cause the common cold.
Human coronaviruses were first
classified in the mid-1960s, and
six of them are known to affect
humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and MERS.
Coronaviruses typically infect a single species or species that are closely
related, but SARS-CoV infects both humans and animals. Monkeys, Himalayan
palm civets, raccoon dogs, cats, dogs, and rodents are all susceptible.
MERS-CoV has so far been shown to infect humans, camels, and bats. It is
believed to have started in bats and then transmitted to camels. From camels, it
can pass to humans, but how this happens is also unclear. MERS-CoV is different
from the coronavirus that caused the 2003 outbreak of SARS, but both viruses are
similar to the types of coronavirus found in bats.
Two cases of MERS-CoV have so far been confirmed in the United States.
One was in Indiana and the other in Florida. Both patients were diagnosed in
2014, both had traveled to Saudi Arabia, and both recovered fully within 3 weeks.
All the cases outside Saudi Arabia were travel-related and originated in in the
Middle East.
B. Symptoms
The most common symptoms of MERS are:
fever
cough
shortness of breath
Associated symptoms may include:
Chills
chest pain
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body aches
sore throat
malaise, a general feeling of being unwell
headache
diarrhea
nausea and vomiting
Serious complications include:
organ failure, particularly kidney failure
pneumonia
MERS is a flu-like illness with signs and symptoms of pneumonia. Early
reports described symptoms as similar to those of SARS. Many individuals with
MERS may have a mild respiratory illness or no symptoms. Others will have
severe respiratory distress, and they need to spend a long time in the hospital.
They may need mechanical ventilation.
C. Causes
MERS-CoV is thought to be a zoonotic virus, which means it can pass
from animals to humans.
Camels can carry the virus. Exposure to
camels or camel products appears to be the
main source of human infection.
Antibodies to the virus have been
identified in camels in Qatar, Egypt, and
Saudi Arabia, and in a bat in Saudi. The
presence of antibodies indicates that they
have been exposed to the virus. Human-to-
human transmission has also been
observed, primarily in health care settings
rather than in the community.
Goats, cows, sheep, water buffalo,
swine, and wild birds have been tested for antibodies to MERS-CoV, but none
have yet been detected. The findings suggest that bats may transfer the virus to
camels, and camels transmit it to humans. Close contact between a person and an
infected camel appears to be necessary for the transmission of MERS-CoV. It has
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been suggested that the virus could infect humans through the air, and through
consumption of raw camel milk or uncooked camel meat.
It seems most likely that the virus transmits through the respiratory route,
by air, but research suggests that it can survive in raw camel milk marginally
longer than in milk of other species. This has prompted calls for further research
into the possibility of it being transmitted through food.
In the case of South Korean, five "super spreaders," who all had
pneumonia, transmitted the disease to 153 others. Those with severe coughs
spread the disease to more people than those who did not.
Forty four percent of those who contracted the disease were exposed in the
hospital, 33 percent were professional caregivers, and 13 percent were healthcare
workers.
D. Risk Factors
The following groups of people are more susceptible to MERS-CoV
infection and complications:
people with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, chronic lung disease, and
heart conditions
older people and the very young
organ transplant recipients who are using immunosuppressive medications
to stop their body from rejecting the organ
those who are taking immunosuppressants, for example, to treat an
autoimmune disease
people whose immune system is weak, such as cancer patients undergoing
treatment
Most of those who have died from the virus had other chronic medical conditions.
E. Diagnosis
A doctor will examine the patient and ask about symptoms and about
recent activities, including travel. Samples will be taken from a patient's
respiratory tract (RT) for assessment. Polymerase chain reaction testing (RT-PCR
testing) can confirm the presence of MERS-Cov.
Tests can detect the relevant antibodies 10 days after the illness starts. If
the test is negative 28 days after the onset of symptoms, the person is considered
not to have MERS. Blood tests can determine if an individual has previously been
infected, by testing for antibodies to MERS-CoV.
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F. Treatment
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the infection, and there is no
cure, but supportive medical care can relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of
complications.
G. Prevention
To reduce the risk of MERS-CoV infection amongst travelers, health
authorities have offered the following advice.
They urge travelers to:
Handwashing is an important way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases
like MERS-CoV.
Wash their hands frequently with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds
Avoid undercooked meat or food prepared under unhygienic conditions
Ensure fruit and vegetables are properly washed before consumption
Report any suspected case to the local health authorities to help with
worldwide disease monitoring
Minimize close contact with others if they develop an acute respiratory illness
with fever, including wearing a medical mask, sneezing into a tissue and
disposing of it properly after use, or sneezing into a sleeve or flexed elbow
Seek immediate medical attention if an acute respiratory illness with fever
appears within 14 days of returning from travel
Travelers with pre-existing chronic conditions, such as diabetes, renal
failure, chronic lung disease are at higher risk.
MERS-CoV is contagious, but the virus does not appear to pass between
humans without close contact, for example, while caring for a patient without
protection.
CHAPTER III:
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Conclusion
Based on the results of the search for information sources from several
articles, here are some points that can be concluded.
1. Mers disease (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory tract
that is very dangerous and can cause death
2. Corona Virus) is a respiratory disease that is very dangerous and can cause
death, Corona virus is a large family of viruses that cause disease in
humans and animals. In people, corona viruses can cause illness ranging in
severity such as the common cold to Acute Respiratory Syndrome or
SARS.
3. Until now, investigations continue to be carried out regarding the pattern
of MERS-Cov transmission, because there has been found human-to-
human transmission of close contact with patients.
4. It is not known clearly the origin of this virus is spread, however, some
researchers suspect that the spread of the virus comes from one type of bat
that is found in the Middle East region.
5. This disease can be prevented by always carrying out a clean and healthy
lifestyle, including consuming nutritious and hygienic foods, having
adequate rest, exercising diligently, always washing hands with soap using
running water, wearing a mask or covering the mouth and nose when
experiencing flu and try not to be outdoors for a while to prevent
transmission to other people.
6. If you will visit the MERS outbreak in the near future, check with your
doctor every 6 weeks and vaccinate meningitis first.
7. But until now there is no vaccine or medicine that can cure this disease,
only drugs to relieve symptoms or the consequences of MERS. One way
to treat MERS is by giving a vaccine drug for hepatitis C treatment that
has been clinically tested to reduce the frequency of the addition of MERS
replica virus in the body.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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http://meersblogku.blogspot.com/2015/10/makalah-tentang-
ppenyakit-meers-kelas.html
http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/middle-
east-respiratory-syndrome-coronavirus-(mers-cov)
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