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Volume 27, Number 9—September 2021
Research

Risk Factors for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection among Camel Populations, Southern Jordan, 2014–2018

Peter HollowayComments to Author , Matthew Gibson, Neeltje van Doremalen, Stephen Nash, Tanja Holloway, Michael Letko, Jacqueline M. Cardwell, Bilal Al Omari, Ahmad Al-Majali, Ehab Abu-Basha, Punam Mangtani, Vincent J. Munster, and Javier Guitian
Author affiliations: The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK (P. Holloway, J.M. Cardwell, J. Guitian); Glasgow University, Glasgow, Scotland, UK (M. Gibson); National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA (N. van Doremalen, M. Letko, V.J. Munster); London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK (S. Nash, T. Holloway, P. Mangtani); Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan (B. Al Omari, A. Al-Majali, E. Abu-Basha)

Main Article

Table 2

Univariate associations between potential risk factors and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus seropositivity in camel populations, Jordan, February 2014–December 2015 and October 2017–October 2018*

Variable
 2014–2015 study
2017–2018 study
OR (95% CI)
 p value
 OR (95% CI)
 p value
Region
Aqaba Referent 0.53 Referent 0.01
Ma’an
 0.68 (0.18–2.30)
3.95 (1.42–12.85)
Age, per y†
1.22 (1.08–1.39)
 <0.01
1.63 (1.39–2.01)
 <0.01
Sex†
F
 2.48 (0.90–6.70)
 0.07
3.02 (1.28–7.09)
 0.01
Herd size
Per individual no. camels
 1.05 (1.01–1.09)
 0.01
1.02 (1.00–1.04)
 0.08
No. camel herds within a 15 min drive
>20
 2.42 (0.72–9.07)
 0.16
2.24 (0.70–7.86)
 0.18
Herd kept together as single group throughout the year
0.84 (0.13–5.04)
 0.85
2.88 (1.04–8.93)
 0.05
Herd has contact with other local herds
1.43 (0.30–6.64)
 0.63
2.97 (1.07–9.17)
 0.04
Herd has contact with distant herds
0.55 (0.13–2.00)
 0.36
1.86 (0.67–5.34)
 0.23
New camels are purchased‡ 0.77 (0.19–2.94) 0.70 1.51 (0.53–4.71) 0.44
Quarantine >3 d after purchase before joining herd
 0.23 (0.03–1.55)
 0.10
0.42 (0.02–6.88)
 0.52
Camels borrowed for breeding purposes§ 2.96 (0.87–11.42) 0.08 3.94 (1.45–12.32) 0.01
Herd-level borrowing of males 2.96 (0.87–11.42) 0.08 NR NR
Herd-level borrowing of females
 2.45 (0.49–16.62)
 0.30
NR
 NR
Camels loaned for breeding
 NR
 NR
3.28 (1.19–10.44)
 0.03
Camels in herd are used for racing
 0.49 (0.07–3.26)
 0.44
0.89 (0.29–2.66)
 0.83
Camel is a racing camel†
 NR
 NR
0.37 (0.09–1.44)
 0.15
Water source¶
Open ad lib Referent 0.13 Referent 0.15
Household only 1.89 (0.05–72.38) 2.81 (0.59–14.25)
Trough only 7.15 (0.95–70.49) 4.07 (1.01–18.88)
Spring 0.13 (0.01–0.98) 0.05 0.20 (0.04–0.80) 0.03
Irrigation reservoir 0.05 (0.00–0.91) 0.05 0.36 (0.06–2.22) 0.27
Tanker 1.24 (0.31–5.11) 0.75 0.77 (0.25–2.37) 0.64
Tap 0.82 (0.20–3.94) 0.78 0.99 (0.35–2.86) 0.99
Well 0.57 (0.08–3.57) 0.54 0.44 (0.13–1.41) 0.16
Water source not shared with herd, household use only
0.30 (0.01–7.54)
 0.45
0.96 (0.29–3.00)
 0.94
Closed herd# NR
 NR 0.09 (0.01–0.39)
 <0.01

*Variables reference the 1-year period before sampling, with the exception of herd size, camel is a racing camel, and a priori variables: age, sex, and region. Because of the potential influence of maternal immunity, camels <6 m of age have been excluded from all variables except age. NR, not recorded. †Individual camel–level variables (all other variables being herd-level). ‡Camels purchased are locally bred; Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture Camel Import Regulations and Conditions allow import only for live camels for direct slaughter. §In the 2014–15 study, results for camels are borrowed for breeding purposes (male and/or female) and camels are borrowed for breeding purposes (male) were the same (i.e., all herds that borrowed camels for breeding borrowed males, and some of these herds also borrowed females). In the 2017–18 study, the sex of camels borrowed or loaned for breeding was not recorded. ¶Open ad lib indicates irrigation reservoir or spring water sources were used; household only indicates water source was not shared between household and herd; trough only indicates only tanker, tap, or well sources were used. #Closed herd indicates herd owners answered no to all of the following variables: borrowing, lending, purchasing, racing, and contact with local or distant herds (2017–2018 study only, missing data 2014–2015).

Main Article

Page created: June 22, 2021
Page updated: August 17, 2021
Page reviewed: August 17, 2021
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