| dc.description.abstract | Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a zoonotic disease caused by Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The infection gained prominence following the death of an infected patient with lower respiratory tract involvement in mid-2012; and MERSCoV was confirmed. The objectives of this study included; the estimation of the seroprevalence of MERS-CoV infection in Dromedary camels in Soysambu Ranch in Naivasha, Nakuru County, to determine the factors associated with MERS-CoV infection in camels in Soysambu ranch; and to determine the temporal pattern of exposure of MERS-CoV infection in camels in Soysambu Ranch. The study was conducted both as a cross-sectional and longitudinal. There was only one camel herd in the Conservency with a herd size of 121 camels, of these 50 camels were randomly selected and bled for serology. Data were collected via questionnaires administered to either the ranch owner or the manager of the ranch. The data collected included the general management of the ranch, camel sex, age, lactation status, pregnancy status, and use. The selected camels were bled via venopuncture and tested for presence of viral antibodies using an ELISA test. A total of 63 camels were selected for follow-up and bled at two-weekly intervals for a period of four months and antibodies determined. Association between testing positive to MERS-CoV antibodies and various factors were assessed using univariate logistics regression analysis and Multivariate analysis. Out of 50 camels tested in the cross-sectional study, 7 camels tested positive to antibodies of MERS-CoV virus equivalent to a seroprevalence of 14% (95% CI: 0.18, 0.10). Of the factors assessed, for their association with testing positive to antibodies to the virus, 4 were positively associated with testing positive including sex (OR=10, p=0.002), animal use (OR=1, p=0.0001) shows no association, pregnancy status (OR=38, p=0.0001), and lactation status (OR=12, p=0.0001). However, age was negatively associated with MERS-CoV antibodies with < 2years old being 10 times (OR=0.1, p=0.0002) less likely to test positive to antibodies to the virus relative to
the adult camels. However, in the final Multivariate logistic regression model on lactation status regained its significance (OR=3.9, p=0.003). Analysis of the antibodies to the virus in the followed –up study indicated a seasonal occurrence of the virus; the levels of antibodies increased from April end peaked in June 2016 coinciding with the peak rains in the conservancy. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated the exposure of camels to the MERS-CoV virus in the conservancy. However, despite the apparent presence of the virus, none of the residents of the conservancy reported any signs of infection with the virus which has been shown to be a zoonosis in other studies thus creating a need for further studies to understand the natural history of this virus in the conservancy and indeed in other camel-keeping areas of Kenya. | en_US |
