Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a persistent zoonotic pathogen with frequent spillover from dromedary camels to humans in the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in limited outbreaks of MERS with a high case-fatality rate. Full genome sequence data from camel-derived MERS-CoV variants show diverse lineages circulating in domestic camels with frequent recombination. More than 90% of the available full MERS-CoV genome sequences derived from camels are from just two countries, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, we employ a novel method to amplify and sequence the partial MERS-CoV genome with high sensitivity from nasal swabs of infected camels. We recovered more than 99% of the MERS-CoV genome from field-collected samples with greater than 500 TCID₅₀ equivalent per nasal swab from camel herds sampled in Jordan in May 2016. Our subsequent analyses of 14 camel-derived MERS-CoV genomes show a striking lack of genetic diversity circulating in Jordan camels relative to MERS-CoV genome sequences derived from large camel markets in KSA and UAE. The low genetic diversity detected in Jordan camels during our study is consistent with a lack of endemic circulation in these camel herds and reflective of data from MERS outbreaks in humans dominated by nosocomial transmission following a single introduction as reported during the 2015 MERS outbreak in South Korea. Our data suggest transmission of MERS-CoV among two camel herds in Jordan in 2016 following a single introduction event.

Probiotics represent a beneficial approach to boost the welfare, health, and meat quality of poultry. One hundred and twenty one-day-old male Muscovy ducklings were divided among 24 floor pens (five ducklings per pen). The pens were randomly distributed among one of four dietary treatments with six replicates (G-C) without any supplementation of probiotics; (G-A) was supplemented with 0.4 g/kg of Amnil^®; (G-M) was supplemented with 0.5 g/kg of M-Mobilize^®; and (G-A-M) was supplemented with 0.4 g/kg of Amnil^® (1–30 day) and 0.5 g/kg of M-Mobilize^® (31–60 day), respectively. The results indicated that BW at day 60 was improved in (G-A) birds compared with (G-C) ones, IL-6 was decreased in (G-A) and (G-A-M) in liver and spleen in comparison with (G-C) (p < 0.05), but no differences were observed between (G-C) and (G-M) (p > 0.05); IL-10 was decreased in all the probiotic-fed ducklings compared with (G-C) birds in the spleen (p < 0.05), and IL-10 was decreased in the (G-A) birds compared with the other treatments in the liver (p < 0.05). Probiotic-fed birds showed a higher enumeration of Lactobacillus spp. compared to (G-C) group (p < 0.05). In addition, the (G-M) group showed improved breast meat flavor, general acceptability, and water-holding capacity (WHC%) compared to (G-C) group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the probiotic supplement (G-A), could be a good management tool for improving Muscovy ducks’ health and production and further research is needed to improve meat quality traits.