Identifying determinants of heterogeneous transmission dynamics of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015: a retrospective epidemiological analysis

BMJ Open
Hiroshi NishiuraKenji Mizumoto

Abstract

To investigate the heterogeneous transmission patterns of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in the Republic of Korea, with a particular focus on epidemiological characteristics of superspreaders. Retrospective epidemiological analysis. Multiple healthcare facilities of secondary and tertiary care centres in an urban setting. A total of 185 laboratory-confirmed cases with partially known dates of illness onset and most likely sources of infection. Superspreaders were identified using the transmission tree. The reproduction number, that is, the average number of secondary cases produced by a single primary case, was estimated as a function of time and according to different types of hosts. A total of five superspreaders were identified. The reproduction number throughout the course of the outbreak was estimated at 1.0 due to reconstruction of the transmission tree, while the variance of secondary cases generated by a primary case was 52.1. All of the superspreaders involved in this outbreak appeared to have generated a substantial number of contacts in multiple healthcare facilities (association: p<0.01), generating on average 4.0 (0.0-8.6) and 28.6 (0.0-63.9) secondary cases among patients who visited multiple healthcare f...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 20, 2016·Infection & chemotherapy·Sun Hee ParkJung-Hyun Choi
Jul 28, 2016·BMC Infectious Diseases·Kyeongah NahHiroshi Nishiura
Feb 15, 2020·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Tridip SardarJoydev Chattopadhyay
Aug 28, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Seoyun ChoeSunmi Lee
Aug 23, 2017·Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine·Ali A Rabaan
Oct 31, 2018·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Yunhwan KimSunmi Lee
Mar 7, 2018·The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine·Myoung-Don OhNam Joong Kim
May 14, 2017·Frontiers of Medicine·Ali A RabaanJaffar A Al-Tawfiq
Mar 21, 2019·Theoretical Biology & Medical Modelling·Lankeshwara MunasingheHiroshi Nishiura
Dec 8, 2020·Journal of Epidemiology·Tetsuro Kobayashi, Hiroshi Nishiura
Dec 18, 2021·Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·Jaffar A Al-TawfiqAlimuddin Zumla

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
reverse transcription PCR

Software Mentioned

R

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