Mers?

[Arizona_928]

I keep reading about it on my flip app. They state it jumped from bats, to camels, now humans. I know when they jump from animals to humans it's a really really bad thing. How concerned should one be? I know the odds of contracting it are low, but I can't stop thinking how the future of another virus following the same path.

[GH85Carrera]

From what little I have heard you only get it from close contact with a camel. I don't encounter camels real often.

[john walker's workshop]

there's probably a lot of close contact with camels over there. i wonder if they have to wear burkas.

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

I keep reading about it on my flip app. They state it jumped from bats, to camels, now humans. I know when they jump from animals to humans it's a really really bad thing. How concerned should one be? I know the odds of contracting it are low, but I can't stop thinking how the future of another virus following the same path.

In this particular case, your concern should be "cautious awareness." Close contact with an infected victim is required to become infected yourself.

You can be guaranteed that there will be other viral migrations from animals to humans in the future--it is the nature of a virus to mutate and when it does, it may become able to survive/infect other species (all jokes aside, let's not forget the HIV virus that originated in simian populations before migrating to humans. Also, the mere fact that these migrations occur does not mean the virus will be incapacitating or deadly in humans.) This is part of the world we live in and is all the more relevant due to increased global travel.

[gassy]

Hope it's not in camel toes.

[scottmandue]

Once you have had camel you will never go back

[oldE]

You just posted that because it's "Hump Day", didn't you.

Best
Les

[rfloz]

Originally Posted by ossiblue

Close contact with an infected victim is required to become infected yourself.

Also, the mere fact that these migrations occur does not mean the virus will be incapacitating or deadly in humans.) This is part of the world we live in and is all the more relevant due to increased global travel.

Human to human transmission has occurred, specifically to health care workers before they knew what they were dealing with.

So far, death rate is about 1 in 3 people infected. About 300 verified cases, so about 100 dead folk. Sounds pretty deadly to me.

See ScienceDaily.com Health articles on May 2 and 6, 2014. You might have to search "MERS".