TWO people have died and two infected with the highly contagious Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), experts have warned.
The unnamed victims – two men and two women – were diagnosed with the disease in Saudi Arabia between August 13 2023, and February 1 2024, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
AlamyMERS cases have declined “substantially” since the Covid pandemic began in 2020[/caption]
All four people were aged between 59 and 93 years and had underlying health conditions which could have made the disease worse.
The virus, often dubbed camel flu because it is usually passed on from infected camels, kills approximately 36 per cent – more than a third – of those infected.
One of the four infected during this recent outbreak owned a camel, while another was related to a camel owner.
The other two cases had no direct or indirect contact with camels and had not drunk raw camel in the weeks before signs of the disease emerged.
All those infected suffered typical symptoms, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, between September 15 2023 and October 26 2023.
The two deaths took place on October 19 2023, and December 24 2023.
PANDEMIC THREAT
MERS is a relatively new disease and was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 – since then, there have been 2,200 cases and 939 deaths.
The majority of cases are reported in the Arabian Peninsula, but some have been discovered elsewhere – including one in the UK in 2018 and another in 2013.
The bug is part of the coronavirus family that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
MERS is more deadly but less transmissible than its sister bug, Covid-19.
MERS cases have declined “substantially” since the Covid pandemic began in 2020, the WHO said.
The Covid virus or vaccine could provide additional protection from MERS, the UN body suggested.
Alternatively, virus prevention measures brought in during lockdowns, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, could also be behind the fall in cases.
The WHO has previously listed MES as one of a number of diseases – alongside the mysterious disease X, an as yet unknown pathogen – which had the potential to spark an epidemic but for which there is no specific treatment or vaccine.
The cluster reported from Saudi Arabia was discovered in three separate areas: Riyadh, Eastern, and Qassim.
The WHO said: “The four new cases are believed to have acquired MERS-CoV infection locally and not to have transmitted it further.”
The NHS suggests all travellers going to the Middle East regularly wash their hands with soap and water, especially after visiting farms, barns or market areas.
Travellers should also avoid contact with camels, raw camel milk or products and any food that may be contaminated with animal fluids.
Explained: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
MIDDLE East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) is a viral disease caused by a coronavirus, much like Sars.
Symptoms range from mild cough and fever to severe respiratory failure and death.
There is no vaccine, although several are in development.
It is a zoonotic virus transferred between animals and humans through an infected animal’s respiratory fluids, such as through coughing.
It does not pass easily between humans but can be caught through prolonged, unprotected contact with a sufferer.
How to prevent it
Practise general hygiene in areas where camels are present.
Avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products, such as meat, milk or urine.