MERS Watch

Health Officials Confirm 4 MERS Infection Cases in Iran

Spokesman for Iranian Parliament’s Health Commission Mohammad Hossein Ghorbani said 4 individuals have been infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona-Virus (MERS) in Iran.

….He noted that one of those diagnosed with the severe respiratory disease has died.

MERS arrives in Algeria, hits 6 more in Saudi Arabia

Algeria reported its first MERS cases.
MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) arrived in Algeria in the form of cases in two men who had gone on an Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on May 31.

In addition, six more MERS cases were reported in Saudi Arabia today and over the weekend. And today, the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) tersely announced the firing of Deputy Health Minister Ziad Memish, MD, who long served as the government's lead spokesman on MERS and was often the target of criticism about the MOH's response to the disease.

Hospital breaches worsened MERS outbreak in UAE, experts find

Experts from the World Health Organization found that human error exacerbated an outbreak of the deadly MERS virus.
REUTERS Monday, June 9, 2014, 11:29 AM

MERS has infected more than 800 people around the world, killing at least 310 of them. The vast majority of cases have been in Saudi Arabia, but there have also been sporadic cases and clusters across the Middle East and in Europe, Asia and the United States.

Lapses in hospital infection control measures exacerbated an outbreak of a deadly new viral disease which has infected more than 60 people and killed at least 10 in the United Arab Emirates, health investigators said on Friday.

Reporting the findings of a five-day mission to the UAE, experts from the World Health Organisation said, however, that they found no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of new Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

"The recent upsurge of cases in Abu Dhabi appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a breach in infection prevention and control measures in health care settings, active surveillance and increase in community acquired cases," they said in a statement.

First reported in humans in 2012, MERS causes severe and often fatal respiratory illness, with symptoms similar to those seen during the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. Its around 40 percent death rate and reports of clusters of human-to-human transmission have raised concerns it may blow up into a pandemic.

Expat Health Centres Closed As Deadly Virus Spreads
June 23, 2014 By Lisa Smith

A government investigation of health testing for expats in Saudi Arabia has seen 12 medical centres shut after revealing poor standards and bad management.

….The investigation was sparked by the spread of the deadly Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the country.

The inquiry was triggered as nearly 300 people died after contracting the virus, which has no known cure.

More than 600 cases have been identified in Saudi Arabia, while the virus has spread worldwide with several cases reported in 20 other countries. ….

Cover up accusations

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is warning expats and travellers to avoid all but essential trips to Saudi Arabia to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.

Cases have already been reported in the UK, USA and Europe, with two new cases identified each in Algeria and Iran during the past few days.

….The WHO has argued with Saudi health authorities over the true number of MERS victims and deaths. The government has been accused of trying to play down the death toll so pilgrims were not discouraged from visiting the country.