LONDON // Scientists say the mysterious Mers virus has been infecting camels in Saudi Arabia for at least two decades, and early human cases probably went undiagnosed.
Since the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus was first identified in 2012, doctors have struggled to explain how many patients have fallen sick. Mers can cause symptoms including fever, breathing problems and kidney failure. To date, it has infected more than 180 people and killed 79, mostly in the Middle East, though infections have also spread to Europe and north Africa.
The virus is related to Sars, which killed about 800 people in a global 2003 outbreak. Camels or bats have been suspected as being possible animal reservoirs of Mers but there has been little hard evidence.
In a new paper, researchers took archived blood samples dating back to 1992 from more than 260 camels in Saudi Arabia. They found traces of Mers or a similar virus in samples from the early 1990s to 2010.
They also analysed random samples from about 200 camels, 36 goats and 112 sheep taken in Saudi Arabia last year.
Of those, nearly 75 per cent of the camels had antibodies to Mers. The researchers found genetic sequences of Mers from camels matched those found in humans.
“It’s very plausible that camels are infecting humans, but this study still doesn’t tell us exactly how that is happening,” said Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for the World Health Organisation, which was not involved in the study.
“We don’t know what the high-risk behavior is that is needed for the virus to jump from camels to humans.”
Ian Lipkin of Columbia University, who led the research, said the virus appears to have stayed relatively stable since 1992 and guessed that some human cases went unnoticed since the disease is rare and hard to spot without advanced laboratory testing. The paper was published online Tuesday in mBio, the journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Still, Dr Lipkin warned Mers could still evolve into a form that spreads more easily among people and advised public health officials to take preventive measures in the Middle East, where camels are commonly kept for meat, for racing and as pets.
“We could begin screening camels for the infection and quarantining them, similar to what’s done for foot-and-mouth disease,” he said. Dr Lipkin added more research is needed on how precisely people are picking up the virus, whether from camels directly or from a contaminated product in the environment. But he said some things can be done to curb infections – for example, avoiding the noses and mouths of camels, where the greatest amount of Mers virus seems to be found.
“There are definitely ways to reduce your risk,” he said. “I would try to avoid kissing camels” – a practice that is common among some who race the animals.
* Associated Press
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Jawan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAtlee%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Nayanthara%2C%20Vijay%20Sethupathi%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
BIRD%20BOX%20BARCELONA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20and%20Alex%20Pastor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGeorgina%20Campbell%2C%20Mario%20Casas%2C%20Diego%20Calva%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
|
Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
|
Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
