Abstract: ObjectiveTo conduct rapid laboratory diagnosis of the first imported case of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in Guangdong Province and compare the testing performance of two commercial kits for MERS-CoV.MethodsThree pharyngeal swabs and 1 serum sample were collected from the first suspected MERS-CoV infection case imported from the South Korea on May 28, 2015.And 50 pharyngeal swabs were collected from close contacts in succession.According to the guidelines for laboratory testing for MERS-CoV by WHO and China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC), Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (GDCDC) had prepared three sets of primers and probes for MERS-CoV upE, ORF1a, and ORF1b genes to carry out Real time RT-PCR.The sensitivity and specificity of two commercial MERS-CoV RNA fluorescence quantitative PCR detection kits A and B were evaluated by using the positive nucleic acid extracts of the first MERS case, respectively.ResultsThe target genes of upE, ORF1a, and ORF1b were detectable in 3 throat swabs.and upE and ORF1a, in the serum sample of the suspected MERS case.Therefore, the MERS-CoV nucleic acid was confirmed to be positive.The MERS-CoV was found to be positive in the 3 throat swab samples of the case detected by both commercial kits A and B, which can also detected the 10 times diluted extracted nucleic acid of MERS-CoV.All 50 samples from the close contacts with the case were MERS-CoV nucleic acid negative detected by the fluorescence quantitative PCR recommended by CCDC and the two kits of A and B.ConclusionThe first imported suspected MERS case was positive for MERS-CoV by rapid laboratory diagnosis.The guidelines for laboratory testing for MERS-CoV and the two commercial kits can be used as laboratory diagnosis tools of MERS-CoV infection.