No Mers from pasteurised camel products: Experts

In the wake of news that scientists in the UAE, the Netherlands and Germany have discovered anti-bodies from the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome — a relative of Sars — in dromedary camels, fears have been mounting amongst both the public and camel owners about the safety of consuming camel products.
Since last year there have been 94 confirmed Mers cases, including five in the UAE, which led to the death of an elderly Emirati man from Abu Dhabi — who already had cancer.

Scientists assure public that pasteurised camel milk and other camel products are fit for consumption. — KT photo by M. Sajjad (Picture used for illustrative purpose only).

Dubai-based Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) virologist Renate Wernery, who is working on the international research alongside husband and CVRL scientific director Dr Ulli Wernery, said local camel owners had “expressed concern”.

However, the husband and wife team have assured all camel products in the country are completely safe — as long as they are pasteurised.

“The camel milk and camel milk products that go to the public are pasteurised, and any virus, including the coronavirus dies off — that is a scientific fact — at 56 degrees Celsius. Pasteurisation happens at a much higher temperature.”

Pasteurisation occurs between temperatures of about 63 and 75 degrees Celsius.

“The public is concerned now that there is an insecurity from consuming products from the camel, which is absolutely not valid. Everything is safe, especially from the market here.”

Dr Ulli Wernery said the presence of Mers antibodies in camels could even be a good thing.

“People have confused the antibodies which have been found in the camels with the virus but the virus has not been found in camels. Camels developed antibodies against the virus which protect them from the disease, it’s very harmless, it’s good even — (the camels are) protected from the virus.”

It was not clear how or when camels had come into contact with the Mers coronavirus, though one theory suggested the link had come from bats “but maybe it comes from rats or mice in the desert, who knows?”.

“(Camels) have connected to the virus some point during their lives, but we don’t know when — it could be 10 years ago,” Dr Ulli Wernery said.

And if camel populations were really hosting the virus, the Wernerys should know about it — the avid camel milk fans, who drink the milk daily, work closely with a large population of camels.

“I have done more than 1,000 (post mortems) on camels and I’m still very fit. I really come into contact very closely and nothing has happened…I’m not worried at all,” Dr Ulli Wernery said.

Renate Wernery said camels had “very aggressive, robust” immune systems, which meant they had antibodies to many diseases — sometimes diseases that had never even manifested. However, talk of where the highly contagious virus started and how it had transmitted to humans was “speculation”.

“Nobody knows yet where the source of the virus is, but CVRL is of course interested to solve the whole mystery. We will keep working with international researchers, this is our duty as scientists…we have to find out more about it, but nobody should be afraid at the moment to use camel products.”

While some of the people who had contracted Mers had had direct contact with camels, including the Emirati man who died after treating a sick camel, most had pre-existing diseases such as diabetes or cancer.

The scientists’ have been backed up by the World Health Organisation, which states on its website most human cases did not have a history of direct contact with camels.

“It is unlikely that transmission of the Mers-CoV to people occurs through direct exposure to an infected camel, as very few of the cases have reported a camel exposure.”

The WHO stated the route of transmission to humans may be indirect, and recommended people avoid contact with “obviously sick” animals, including camels.

“Animal products processed appropriately through cooking or pasteurisation are safe for consumption but should also be handled with care.”

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, sponsors all work conducted at CVRL.