Saudi MOH Announces 4 New MERS Cases

 

# 10,498

 

The drumbeat of MERS reports continues from the Saudi MOH, which for the 35th day in a row has announced new cases.  Three are from hard-hit Riyadh, with unspecified exposure history, while one is from Madinah.  Three fatalities and two recoveries are also announced.

The Madinah case is listed as a `contact’ of a confirmed or suspected case, although this is the first case we’ve seen reported from Al Madinah in many months.

Hopefully we’ll learn more when the WHO releases an update on these cases.

 

During the first 7 days of September – normally a quiet time of year for MERS cases -  Saudi Arabia has announced 36 new cases.  With the start of the Hajj now only a couple of weeks away, last week the World Health Organization warned:

 

. . . . the current outbreak is occurring close to the start of the Hajj and many pilgrims will return to countries with weak surveillance and health systems. The recent outbreak in the Republic of Korea demonstrated that when the MERS virus appears in a new setting, there is great potential for widespread transmission and severe disruption to the health system and to society.

 

For those intending to make this year’s pilgrimage, the CDC has some important health advice (see  CDC Traveler’s Advice: Umrah, The Hajj and MERS).