Case report: Detection of the Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus (MERS-CoV) in nasal secretions of a dead human

The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has been recognized as a highly pathogenic virus that infects the human respiratory tract and has high morbidity and mortality. The MERS-CoV is a huge burden on Saudi Arabian health-care facilities, causing approximately 40% mortality. The transmission mechanism of the virus is still not well understood. Therefore, the prevention of any route of transmission is the best measure to arrest the spread of this disease. Using the real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), MERS-CoV was detected in the nasal secretions of a human cadaver. Full precautions should be applied and carefully followed to prevent the transmission of the virus, especially among health care workers.