MERS: methods for detection, prevention, response and control

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), identified recently, is a severe lung infection posing a global threat to human health. It is important to understand the nature of this disease and ways to prevent, respond to, and control outbreaks. This course provides a general introduction to MERS and is intended for incident managers and personnel working for the United Nations, international organizations and NGOs.

**Please note: This course was developed in 2017. For the latest updates, please refer to the relevant health topics on the WHO website.

Course information

This course is also available in the following languages:

français - العربية

Overview: This course provides a general introduction to Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), a severe lung infection posing a global threat to human health. By the end of this course, you should be able to describe: the nature of the virus, the disease it causes, its history, and why it is a threat to human health; how to detect and assess a MERS outbreak; strategies for preventing and controlling MERS outbreaks; and what strategies should be used to communicate risk and engage communities to detect, prevent and respond to MERS. There are resources attached to each module to help you dive further into this topic, and you will take a quiz at the end of the course.

Learning objective: Understand the fundamental principles of MERS and how to effectively respond to an outbreak.

Course duration: Approximately 4 hours.

Certificates: A Record of Achievement will be available to participants who score 80% or higher. Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.

Course contents

• Pre Test

• MERS: Introduction:

  This brief introduction provides an overview of the course and discusses the learning objectives of its four modules.

• Module A: Introduction to MERS:

  Overall learning objective: To describe the nature of the virus, the disease it causes, its history, and why it is a threat to human health

• Module B: Detecting MERS: Surveillance and Laboratory investigation:

  Overall learning objective: To describe how to detect and assess a MERS outbreak

• Module C: Preventing and Responding to MERS:

  Overall learning objective: To describe strategies for preventing and controlling MERS outbreaks

• Module D: Risk Communication and Community Engagement:

  Overall learning objective: To describe what strategies should be used to communicate risk and engage communities to detect, prevent and respond to MERS

• Post Test