WHO MERS Updates - Saudi Arabia & UAE

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Normally when we get MERS updates from the WHO involving multiple cases it is a mixed bag; primary cases with no known exposure, primary cases with camel contact, and household or nosocomial infections from exposure to previously identified cases. 

Today, we've reports on 6 cases from two countries (4 from KSA & 2 from UAE), and five are listed as no known exposure other than having frequent contact with camels, and four of those are consumers of camel's milk.   

The 6th case is a contact of one of the five camel contacts.  Not included in today's report are 4 recent MERS cases reported in connection with a camel market in Jeddah.


The good news is we've not seen any reports of secondary nosocomial transmission from any of these cases.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – United Arab Emirates

Disease outbreak news
26 January 2016

Between 11 and 14 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of the United Arab Emirates notified WHO of 2 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 1 death.

Details of the cases

• A 73-year-old male from Abu Dhabi developed symptoms on 27 December and visited a health care clinic in Abu Dhabi. He was treated symptomatically and sent home on the same day. On 31 December, the patient travelled to Oman with family members and returned back to Abu Dhabi on 1 January. On the same day, he developed symptoms and was admitted to hospital. The patient, who had no comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 10 January. He passed away on 25 January. The patient had a history of frequent contact with camels. He consumed raw camel milk once in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. He had no history of exposure to other risk factors in Abu Dhabi and in Oman in the 14 days prior to onset of symptoms.
• An 85-year-old female from Abu Dhabi was detected through the tracing of contacts. The patient is a contact of a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case (see above). She has no history of exposure to other risk factors in the 14 days prior to detection. The patient, who has comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 13 January. Currently, she is asymptomatic admitted to a negative pressure isolation room on a ward. 

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Disease outbreak news
26 January 2016

Between 27 December 2015 and 13 January 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 4 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection.

Details of the cases

• A 50-year-old male from Madinah city developed symptoms on 3 January and, on 10 January, was admitted to hospital in Madinah. The patient, who has comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 12 January. Currently, he is in critical condition in ICU. The patient has a history of frequent contact with camels and consumption of their raw milk. He has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
• An 85-year-old male from Bisha city developed symptoms on 3 January. On the same day, the patient visited a hospital where he was treated symptomatically and sent home. On 9 January, the patient travelled by airplane to Riyadh to seek medical care. Once in Riyadh, he was admitted to hospital. The patient, who has comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 11 January. Currently, he is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward. The patient has a history of frequent contact with camels and consumption of their raw milk. He has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
• A 59-year-old male from Onizah city developed symptoms on 18 December and, on 27 December, was admitted to hospital. The patient, who is a heavy smoker and has comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 28 December. Currently, he is in critical condition in ICU. The patient has a history of frequent contact with camels and consumption of their raw milk. He has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
• A 54-year-old male from Jeddah city developed symptoms on 14 December and, on 24 December, was admitted to hospital. The patient, who has comorbidities, tested positive for MERS-CoV on 26 December. Currently, he is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward. The patient has a history of frequent contact with camels.

Globally, since September 2012, WHO has been notified of 1,630 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 586 related deaths.