Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) seroprevalence in zoonotic reservoirs and in humans: implications for spillover risk and population underlying infection

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease of global importance that is currently mainly transmitted to humans from camels, although it is still unclear how the pathogen spreads and infects individuals across time and geography. Understanding its epidemiologic characteristics via serology (e.g. blood tests that measure the level of antibodies) is key to producing accurate estimates of future animal-human transmission and in turn, implementing public health measures to prevent this risk of "spillover". Barriers to this understanding, however, include the lack of unified and timely serology data, as well as limited awareness of population immunity. To address these barriers, an innovative and continuously updated synthesis and analysis of MERS seroprevalence will be conducted, which will include both academic and non-academic sources. The results will also be visualized on an interactive data web platform. This unique and streamlined approach will in turn inform estimates of MERS prevalence, possible cross-immunity from prior infection/vaccination against COVID-19, and spillover risk, thus facilitating vital insights for use by policy, research and clinical decision-makers in an era of pandemic preparedness. The culmination of this MERS case study will centralize access to MERS serology data, illustrate the feasibility and structure of a unified serosurveillance system, and highlight the design of a tailored data platform for pandemic preparedness. Ultimately, these efforts will build crucial capacity to monitor coronaviruses and other emerging infectious disease threats on a global scale.