The Saudi Ministry of Health has reported three cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus to the World Health Organization (WHO), including one death, occurring between April 10 and 17. These cases, all males aged between 56 and 60 years from Riyadh, had underlying health conditions.
“The three cases are epidemiologically linked to exposures in a healthcare facility in Riyadh, although investigations are ongoing to verify this and understand the route of transmission. Since the beginning of the year, a total of four cases and two deaths have been reported from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the WHO bulletin stated.
The notification of these cases does not alter WHO’s overall risk assessment, which remains moderate at both global and regional levels.
MERS is caused by the MERS coronavirus (CoV), a highly contagious viral respiratory infection. WHO notes that approximately 36% of MERS patients have died, although this figure may not accurately reflect the true mortality rate due to potential underreporting of mild cases and the calculation being based only on laboratory-confirmed cases.
Humans typically contract MERS-CoV through direct or indirect contact with dromedary camels, the natural host of the virus. While MERS-CoV has demonstrated the ability to transmit between humans, transmission outside of healthcare settings has been limited.
There is currently no specific vaccine or treatment available for MERS-CoV, though several are in development. Treatment primarily focuses on supportive care based on the patient’s clinical condition and symptoms.
Since 2012, a total of 2,204 MERS-CoV cases and 860 deaths have been reported in Saudi Arabia. Globally, there have been 2,613 cases and 941 deaths reported across 27 countries in all six WHO regions.
In May 2015, a significant outbreak of MERS-CoV occurred outside the Middle East, particularly in South Korea, described as a healthcare-associated infection. During this outbreak, 186 cases were confirmed, with 185 in South Korea and 1 in China, resulting in 38 deaths.