MERS Outbreak - Saudi Arabia

A cluster of MERS-CoV cases in Buraydah has grown by 3 to 17 cases in just 1 week, and the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 2 other cases elsewhere, according to an update today.

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO), in separate reports, detailed seven MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) cases from Saudi Arabia from February and noted the death of a recent patient in Qatar.

Buraydah cluster grows

The new cases in Buraydah reported today all involve people in their 20s, one of whom is a healthcare worker, while the two cases elsewhere in Saudi Arabia both involved camel contact. All five are Saudi nationals, the MOH noted.

The health worker, a 26-year-old man, contracted the disease in a healthcare setting, the MOH said. He is listed in stable condition.

The other two cases in Buraydah involved contact with another MERS-CoV patient. The patient who died was a 29-year-old man. The other patient is a 22-year-old woman who is hospitalized in critical condition.

The MOH also noted that a previously reported MERS patient in the city has died. He is a 23-year-old man whose case was confirmed by the agency on Mar 5, at which time he was in critical condition. He had preexisting disease, the MOH said today.

Buraydah has now had 17 confirmed MERS cases since Mar 3, including 6 deaths. Most have been linked to healthcare settings. The city is in the north-central part of the country.

Medclinician