MERS facts for kids
MERS stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. It is a sickness caused by a type of coronavirus called MERS-CoV. This virus was first found in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Scientists believe MERS-CoV originally came from bats.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some of these viruses can cause mild illnesses, like the common cold. Others can cause more serious sicknesses. Coronaviruses can infect both animals and people. MERS-CoV is related to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus. SARS spread around the world, making many people sick before it was stopped in 2004.
Naming Viruses Fairly
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) created rules for naming new viruses and diseases. These rules say that official names should not include places, people, or animals. The goal is to prevent stigma, which means avoiding blame or unfair negative feelings towards a group of people or a place. The WHO uses MERS as an example of what not to do when naming a virus or disease, because its name includes a place ("Middle East").
Images for kids
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Symptoms of MERS
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MERS coronaviruses under electron microscope
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Chest X-ray of a case of MERS
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See also
In Spanish: Síndrome respiratorio de Oriente Medio para niños
