MERS
Saudi Arabia Finds Another 32 MERS Cases as Disease Spreads
Reuters reported yesterday that Saudi Arabian health officials have confirmed 32 new cases of MERS virus, bringing the country’s total thus far to 463 verified cases. The total number of confirmed MERS cases almost doubled in April, and are up another 25% in May. Ten of the new cases were in people who had contact with someone previously diagnosed with MERS. Though limited in scale and apparently difficult to transfer from one person to another, MERS has now traveled as far as Malaysia, Western Europe, and the US.
US firm closer to MERS vaccine
Novavax Inc said its vaccine candidate blocked MERS infections in laboratory studies
Saudi schools to set-up MERS clinics
Acting Health Minister also concedes no MERS-specific anti-infection measures are being taken at hospitals, despite an outbreak in a Jeddah emergency department last month
Florida MERS Patient Sat in Busy ER for Hours
Reuters reports that the second US patient diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus sat in an Orlando, FL emergency room for four hours—overlapping with up to 100 other patients and 20 medical workers—before doctors became aware he had recently returned from Saudi Arabia. The hospital has since changed intake procedures for patients experiencing flu-like symptoms who have recently returned from travel abroad, but this case shows how difficult virus containment can be in the time between seeking medical care and providers gaining full awareness of a patient’s specific situation.
Kuwait to install infra-red cameras to detect MERS
The Gulf state borders Saudi Arabia, where more than 500 people have been diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome that has killed about 200 people worldwide
Que sorpresa…
Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia’s public health agencies, which recently upwardly revised total cases of the MERS virus from 575 to 688 as part of the ongoing virus outbreak, have been crippled by poor communication, a lack of accountability, and a failure to learn from past mistakes. Saudi Arabia appointed a new health minister in late April, and some claim that hospital and inter-agency communication is improving even as the total number of MERS cases continues to climb. People exposed to the virus who are unaware of the symptoms and then subsequently travel continue to be a major concern to investigators of the outbreak.
UAE confirms two new MERS virus cases in Abu Dhabi
Ministry of Health says both patients are stable and receiving necessary medical treatment
Saudi scientists have found gene fragments of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus in air from a barn housing an infected camel and say this suggests the disease may be transmitted through the air.
MERS, a serious respiratory illness caused by a virus known as a coronavirus (CoV), has infected at least 850 people since it first emerged two years ago and killed at least 327 of them, according to latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Reuters reports that Saudi health officials blame infection control procedures in hospitals for the recent second outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia. Six new cases were confirmed Wednesday, two of which were among healthcare workers. Three hospitals in the city of Taif have had infections spread from those being treated for MERS symptoms. In total, 32 new cases have been found since the start of October, primarily in Taif and Riyadh.