Al-Tawfiq, J. A.Memish, Ziad A.2020-05-152020-05-152016Al-Tawfiq, J. A., & Memish, Z. A. (2016). The middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus respiratory infection: An emerging infection from the Arabian Peninsula. In The Microbiology of Respiratory System Infections (pp. 55-63). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804543-5.00004-Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/1805/22775This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was initially isolated from a patient who was admitted to a private hospital in the Western part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2012. Subsequently, MERS-CoV resulted in many sporadic cases, multiple intrafamilial transmission, and major outbreaks in healthcare settings. Of all the cases reported within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 38% of the cases were primary, 45% were healthcare-associated infection, and 14% were household infections. The clinical spectrum of the MERS-CoV infection ranges from asymptomatic infections, mild or moderately symptomatic cases, and severe disease requiring intensive care unit admissions and may result in death. Within healthcare settings, transmissions of MERS-CoV are facilitated by overcrowding, poor infection control measures, unrecognized infections, and superspreader phenomenon. Currently, there is no approved therapy for MERS-CoV and there are no vaccines.enPublisher PolicyThis article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.MERS-CoVcoronavirustransmissionArticle