Camel blood sample, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) research. Veterinarian taking a blood sample from a camel's neck during research into a reported case of infection by Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Haramout, Yemen. The research was part of a Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) to train epidemiologists. MERS is an often-fatal viral respiratory illness that was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries. Those infected with MERS-CoV develop severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Photographed in 2014.