Qatar experience on MERS-CoV One Health Surveillance and Response, 2012 - 2015

The emergence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) in 2012 had placed a great concern on the public health institutions globally and in particular in the Arab region. The gaps in knowledge related to the novel virus put the healthcare systems in Qatar and the entire region in critical position amid growing concerns that this virus might take a deadly pattern. As the second reported case in Qatar had a documented relationship with animals, veterinary and environmental health sectors were invited to join the national outbreak control taskforce. To establish sound interventions, the taskforce had to identify the possible source of infection and the mode of transmission. These areas remained a challenge as the number of cases in Qatar mounted to 15 with 6 deaths. This case study describes how the One-Health Approach informed Surveillance and response to MERSCoV in Qatar during the period, 2012-2015.