Drug Cocktail Protects Monkeys From Deadly Virus May also Aid Humans

Drug Cocktail Protects Monkeys From Deadly Virus May also Aid Humans

A combination of two well-known antiviral drugs protects monkeys against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and could potentially be used to save humans from the lethal disease, scientists said.

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases gave the drugs, ribavirin and interferon, to half of six rhesus monkeys eight hours after they were infected with the virus, now known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus. The three that got the two-drug cocktail had less virus in their blood, no breathing difficulties and only minimal X-ray evidence of pneumonia, while the untreated animals became very ill, said the authors of the study published by Nature Medicine. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the institute’s director, called the study “not a game changer, but an important observation.”

National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists report that a combination of two licensed antiviral drugs reduces virus replication and improves clinical outcome in a recently developed monkey model of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.

As of Aug. 30, 2013, the World Health Organization has reported 108 human cases of MERS-CoV infection, including 50 deaths. Given the current lack of treatment options, the authors of this study conclude that combined ribavirin and interferon-alpha 2b therapy should be considered as an early intervention.

Current as of September 13, 2013, 9:00 AM EDT

Countries	Cases (Deaths)
France	2 (1)
Italy	3 (0)
Jordan	2 (2)
Qatar	5 (2)
Saudi Arabia	90 (44)
Tunisia	3 (1)
United Kingdom (UK)	3 (2)
United Arab Emirates (UAE)	6 (2)
Total	114 (54)

(MERS is viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. Most people who have been confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection developed severe acute respiratory illness. They had fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About half of these people died.

So far, all the cases have been linked to four countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula. No cases have been identified in the U.S. This virus has spread from ill people to others through close contact. However, the virus has not shown to spread in a sustained way in communities. The situation is still evolving.

CDC is working with partners to better understand the risks of this virus, including the source, how it spreads, and how infections might be prevented. CDC has provided information for travelers and is working with health departments, hospitals, and other partners to prepare for possible cases in the United States.