PMC:5968208 / 113-1517 JSONTXT

{"target":"https://pubannotation.org/docs/sourcedb/PMC/sourceid/5968208","sourcedb":"PMC","sourceid":"5968208","source_url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/5968208","text":"OBJECTIVES\nThe rates of asymptomatic infection with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus vary. A serologic study was conducted to determine the asymptomatic MERS infection rate in healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers by exposure status.\n\nMETHODS\nStudy participants were selected from contacts of MERS patients based on a priority system in 4 regions strongly affected by the 2015 MERS outbreak. A sero-epidemiological survey was performed in 1,610 contacts (average duration from exposure to test, 4.8 months), and the collected sera were tested using an enzyme-linked immunespecific assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and plaque reduction neutralization antibody test (PRNT). Among the 1,610 contacts, there were 7 ELISA-positive cases, of which 1 exhibited positive IFA and PRNT results.\n\nRESULTS\nThe asymptomatic infection rate was 0.060% (95% confidence interval, 0.002 to 0.346). The asymptomatic MERS case was a patient who had been hospitalized with patient zero on the same floor of the hospital at the same time. The case was quarantined at home for 2 weeks after discharge, and had underlying diseases, including hypertension, angina, and degenerative arthritis.\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe asymptomatic infection was acquired via healthcare-associated transmission. Thus, it is necessary to extend serologic studies to include inpatient contacts who have no symptoms. ","divisions":[{"label":"Section","span":{"begin":0,"end":260}},{"label":"Title","span":{"begin":0,"end":10}},{"label":"Section","span":{"begin":262,"end":825}},{"label":"Title","span":{"begin":262,"end":269}},{"label":"Section","span":{"begin":827,"end":1208}},{"label":"Title","span":{"begin":827,"end":834}},{"label":"Section","span":{"begin":1210,"end":1403}},{"label":"Title","span":{"begin":1210,"end":1221}}],"tracks":[]}