Science Ticker Genetics

Airborne MERS virus found in Saudi Arabian camel barn

The air in a Saudi Arabian camel barn holds genetic fragments of MERS, a new study shows.

JamesDeMers/Pixabay (CC0 1.0)  

By Ashley Yeager

Genetic fragments of MERS, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, have been detected in the air of a Saudia Arabian camel barn. The new study, published July 22 in mBio, suggests that more research needs to be done to determine if the virus can be transmitted through the air.

Read more of SN’s MERS coverage.

About Ashley Yeager

Ashley Yeager is the associate news editor at Science News. She has worked at The Scientist, the Simons Foundation, Duke University and the W.M. Keck Observatory, and was the web producer for Science News from 2013 to 2015. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT.

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