There's no evidence showing from where the virus derives and no information whether it originates in any particular animal, according to WHO.

Initial contactThe New England Journal of Medicine reported in November 2012 on MERS-CoV, noting that initial symptoms mimic a mild respiratory flu.

Because researchers don't know where the virus comes from, there is no clear way of identifying how it's transmitted; however, they do know it can be passed from human to human based on a report in March 2013 by Eurosurveillance where symptoms appeared in a family group within 10 days.