MERS

noun

ˈmərz 

: a serious viral respiratory illness that is marked by fever, cough, and shortness of breath and that may often progress to severe pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and organ failure

Note: MERS is caused by a coronavirus (species Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus of the genus Betacoronavirus) related to the causative virus of SARS. The first cases of MERS appeared in Saudi Arabia and most cases originate from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula.

see mers-cov

Examples of MERS in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shortly thereafter, former President Barack Obama in 2014 placed a moratorium on gain-of-function research using viruses with pandemic potential, including influenza, SARS, and MERS. —Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 5 May 2025

Many of the disease scares of recent decades—SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika—in large part spared the U.S. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025

And this research prepared us for SARS-CoV, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2. —Dave Wessner, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

During his tenure in public service, Fauci helped guide public policy on HIV/AIDS, SARS, MERS, avian influenza, swine flu, Zika and Ebola. —Andrea Wurzburger, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024

One inflection point came in 2015, the year of the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus) epidemic, when a misogynistic smear campaign accused two Korean women of visiting MERS-plagued Hong Kong and refusing to test themselves before returning home. —Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Groups of women, outraged by the misogyny, started gathering on a MERS forum to talk about how they were done with men. —Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Moss’ proposal did not technically violate federal gain-of-function regulations, because the ban only pertained to SARS, MERS, and influenza viruses at the time. —Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 11 June 2024

Since 2000, the world has experienced 15 novel Ebola epidemics, the global spread of a 1918-like influenza strain and major outbreaks of three new and unusually deadly coronavirus infections: SARS, MERS and, of course, COVID-19. —Ron Barrett, Discover Magazine, 11 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle East respiratory syndrome

First Known Use

2013, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing MERS

• MERS-CoV

Rhymes for MERS

• blurs
• burrs
• firs
• fleurs
• fors
• furs
• amateurs
• colporteurs
• connoisseurs
• rapporteurs
• saboteurs
• voyageurs

Medical Definition

MERS

noun

ˈmərz 

: a serious viral respiratory illness that is marked by fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and that may often progress to severe pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome and organ failure

Note: MERS is caused by a coronavirus (species Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus of the genus Betacoronavirus) related to the causative virus of SARS. The first cases of MERS appeared in Saudi Arabia and most cases originate from countries in or near the Arabian peninsula.

For some patients, the route of infection is completely unclear. Still, most scientists now believe that camels are the key to controlling MERS.

—Martin Enserink, Science

called also Middle East respiratory syndrome

see mers-cov