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Volume 25, Number 5—May 2019
Research

Risk Factors for MERS-CoV Seropositivity among Animal Market and Slaughterhouse Workers, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2014–2017

Ahmed Khudhair1, Marie E. Killerby1Comments to Author , Mariam Al Mulla, Kheir Abou Elkheir, Wassim Ternanni, Zyad Bandar, Stefan Weber, Mary Khoury, George Donnelly, Salama Al Muhairi, Abdelmalik I. Khalafalla, Suvang Trivedi, Azaibi Tamin, Natalie J. Thornburg, John T. Watson, Susan I. Gerber, Farida Al Hosani2, and Aron J. Hall2

Author affiliations: Abu Dhabi Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (A. Khudhair, M. Al Mulla, K.A. Elkheir, W. Ternanni, Z. Bandar, F. Al Hosani); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (M.E. Killerby, S. Trivedi, A. Tamin, N.J. Thornburg, J.T. Watson, S.I. Gerber, A.J. Hall); Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi (S. Weber, M. Khoury, G. Donnelly); Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, Abu Dhabi (S. Al Muhairi, A.I. Khalafalla)

Main Article

Table 2

Comparison of practices among 145 MERS-CoV seronegative and seropositive market workers, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates*

Characteristic Total no. participants No. (%) participants
 OR (95% CI) p value
Seronegative, n = 116 Seropositive, n = 29
Handle live camels 66 40 (60.6) 26 (39.4) 16.47 (5.38–72.06) <0.001
Feed camels 51 31 (60.8) 20 (39.2) 6.09 (2.57–15.44) <0.001
Clean camels 39 22 (56.4) 17 (43.6) 6.05 (2.56–14.83) <0.001
Clean camel housing 37 19 (51.4) 18 (48.6) 8.35 (3.47–21.11) <0.001
Handle camel waste 33 16 (48.5) 17 (51.5) 8.85 (3.63–22.56) <0.001
Clean equipment 33 16 (48.5) 17 (51.5) 8.85 (3.63–22.56) <0.001
Milk camels 18 12 (66.7) 6 (33.3) 2.26 (0.72–6.49) 0.138
Assist with camel birthing 27 18 (66.7) 9 (33.3) 2.45 (0.94–6.16) 0.060
Give medications to camels 35 18 (51.4) 17 (48.6) 7.71 (3.2–19.34) <0.001
Contact with ill camel 37 20 (54.1) 17 (45.9) 6.8 (2.85–16.83) <0.001
Wear dust mask and gloves 25 23 (92.0) 2 (8.0) 0.3 (0.05–1.1) 0.117
Wear respirator 0 0 (NA) 0 (NA) NA NA
Wear coveralls 15 13 (86.7) 2 (13.3) 0.59 (0.09–2.3) 0.500
Wear boots
 3
 3 (100.0)
 0 (0.0)
 NA
 0.991
Who washes your clothes?
Self 84 69 (82.1) 15 (17.9) Ref Ref
Household member 5 4 (80.0) 1 (20.0) 1.15 (0.06–8.49) 0.904
Other worker
 56
 43 (76.8)
 13 (23.2)
 1.39 (0.6–3.21)
 0.439
Take work clothes home 141 113 (80.1) 28 (19.9) 0.74 (0.09–15.34) 0.801
Wash work clothes at home 89 73 (82.0) 16 (18.0) 0.72 (0.32–1.67) 0.444
Wash work clothes at workplace 6 3 (50.0) 3 (50.0) 4.35 (0.77–24.67) 0.082
Wash work clothes at laundry 63 50 (79.4) 13 (20.6) 1.07 (0.47–2.43) 0.867
Wash hands before and after each animal-related task 40 30 (75.0) 10 (25.0) 1.51 (0.61–3.56) 0.355
Wash hands at meal times 145 116 (80.0) 29 (20.0) NA NA
Wash hands at bathroom times 145 116 (80.0) 29 (20.0) NA NA
Wash hands at prayer times 145 116 (80.0) 29 (20.0) NA NA
Wash hands at beginning and end of day 81 70 (86.4) 11 (13.6) 0.4 (0.17–0.92) 0.033
Wash hands at toilets 143 114 (79.7) 29 (20.3) NA 0.989
Wash hands at restaurant 64 50 (78.1) 14 (21.9) 1.23 (0.54–2.8) 0.616
Wash hands at mosque 69 55 (79.7) 14 (20.3) 1.04 (0.45–2.35) 0.934
Wash hands at barn 4 1 (25.0) 3 (75.0) 13.27 (1.63–274.19) 0.028

*MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus; OR, odds ratio.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

2These authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: April 18, 2019
Page updated: April 18, 2019
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