WHO Adds MERS-CoV Isolate to BioHub to Boost Global Research

The World Health Organization (WHO) has added an isolate of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to its BioHub System, expanding access to verified biological materials that support global research, surveillance, and pandemic preparedness.

The inclusion marks a new stage in the BioHub initiative, launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable countries to voluntarily share and request pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential. According to WHO, this system facilitates scientific collaboration and the rapid development of diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics by providing standardized access to key materials.

“Since its identification, outbreaks caused by MERS-CoV have been sporadic. As such MERS-CoV isolates have been challenging to obtain, making it all the more important that the WHO BioHub System provides researchers with access to this virus isolate,” says Maria Van Kerkhove, Acting Director of the Epidemic and Pandemic Management Department, WHO. She adds that transparent and timely sharing of materials such as the MERS-CoV isolate strengthens research efforts that can help prevent future epidemics and pandemics.

MERS-CoV, first identified in 2012, is a zoonotic virus transmitted between dromedary camels and humans. Infection can cause severe respiratory illness and has a case fatality rate of about 37%. No licensed vaccines or treatments exist. The isolate added to the BioHub was derived from a camel and belongs to clade C, a variant widely circulating in African camel populations. Until now, most MERS research has been based on clade A isolates, which have not been detected since 2015.

The move reflects WHO’s broader effort to strengthen global systems for pathogen sharing following lessons from recent health emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023–2024 mpox outbreak, the BioHub enabled laboratories worldwide to access critical virus samples that supported diagnostic validation and early-stage research.

Since its creation, the BioHub has engaged 76 laboratories from 30 countries across all WHO regions. It operates under standardized agreements to streamline material exchange while maintaining biosafety and promoting equitable collaboration. The system’s growing collection includes 33 variants of SARS-CoV-2, mpox clades Ia, Ib, and IIb, the Oropouche virus, and now MERS-CoV.

The Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland functions as the central WHO BioHub Facility, and is responsible for storing, characterizing, and distributing biological materials. WHO plans to expand this model by establishing BioHub facilities in each of its regional offices to ensure broader access and faster response to emerging health threats.