VIASURE MERS Coronavirus Real Time PCR Detection Kit is designed for specific identification of MERS Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in clinical samples from patients with signs and symptoms of MERS Coronavirus infection.

This test is intended for use as an aid in the diagnosis of MERS Coronavirus in combination with clinical and epidemiological risk factors.

RNA is extracted from specimens, amplified using RT-PCR and detected using fluorescent reporter dye probes specific for MERS Coronavirus.

The first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) was reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Since then, all cases of MERS have been linked to travel to, or residence in, countries in and near the Arabian Peninsula, including the large outbreak occurred in the Republic of Korea in 2015. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus named MERS-CoV.

Coronaviruses are enveloped, large single positive stranded RNA viruses classified as a family within the Nidovirales order. Four coronavirus genera have been identified: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. All human coronaviruses belong to alpha and beta genera, and MERS-CoV belong to lineage C beta-coronaviruses.

MERS is considered a zoonotic infection. The virus is believed to be originated in bats thanks to the isolation of other lineage C beta-coronaviruses that are very close phylogenetically. However, camels are thought to be the major reservoir host and the animal source of infection in humans, carrying strains of MERS-CoV identical to human strains. Human-to-human transmission occurs due to close contact, probably via infected person’s respiratory secretions.

The clinical symptoms of MERS-CoV infection range from asymptomatic or mild respiratory symptoms to severe acute respiratory disease and death in nearly 40% of infected patients. Typical presentation of the disease includes fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia and gastrointestinal symptoms are also common findings.

VIASURE MERS Coronavirus Real Time PCR Detection Kit is designed for the diagnosis of MERS Coronavirus in clinical samples. The detection is done in one step real time RT format where the reverse transcription and the subsequent amplification of specific target sequence occur in the same reaction well. The isolated RNA target is transcribed generating complementary DNA by reverse transcriptase which is followed by the amplification of a conserved region upstream of the E gene (upE) (MERS Coronavirus 1), and the open reading frame 1a (ORF 1a) (MERS Coronavirus 2), using specific primers and a fluorescent–labelled probe.