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MERS is Back in Arabia

Printed From: Avian Flu Talk
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Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: (General discussion regarding the next pandemic)
URL: http://www.avianflutalk.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=36536
Printed Date: April 18 2024 at 1:07am


Topic: MERS is Back in Arabia
Posted By: Medclinician
Subject: MERS is Back in Arabia
Date Posted: August 13 2017 at 8:09am
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2017/08/mers-infects-7-more-saudi-arabia-some-part-hospital-cluster" rel="nofollow - http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2017/08/mers-infects-7-more-saudi-arabia-some-part-hospital-cluster

In the midst of all the chaos in the world, the relentless outbreaks and disease threats continue. While it has been said by Trump "Nuclear is our greatest threat" perhaps in the next few days - but overall it is disease.  These viruses continue to mutate and there are bacteria which are immune to all of our antibiotics. We approach an era where they are useless and we will see strains spread across the planet which have no cure or vaccine.

You might notice, the percentage of death from MERS is still more than any country's infrastructure or health resources could deal with.

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported seven new cases of MERS-CoV today, including five connected to a cluster in Dumah Al Jandal, most apparently linked to a hospital setting.

Three of the new cases are healthcare workers, all expats who have asymptomatic infections and are in stable condition. They include a 49-year-old man and two women, ages 27 and 26.

The other two new cases connected to the Dumah Al Jandal cluster are Saudi men. A 21-year-old is in critical condition after being diagnosed with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The MOH said he was a household contact of another MERS-CoV patient. A 70-year-old is also in critical condition, and the MOH said he acquired his infection as a patient in the hospital.

At least 9 cases in Dumah Al Jandal

In the last several days, there have been nine MERS-CoV infections announced from Dumah Al Jandal, including a primary case, four among health workers, one in a hospital patient, and three involving household contacts. The city is located in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Hospital-based infections are a hallmark of MERS-CoV outbreaks, with healthcare workers and fellow patients often exposed to index patients before they are isolated for treatment. Yesterday, the World Health Organization said three Riyadh hospital-based outbreaks, first described earlier this summer, were officially over.

New cases from other cities

The MOH reported two additional cases today. One is a 58-year-old expatriate man from Khamis Mushait who was symptomatic and is in critical condition, and the other is a 55-year-old Saudi man from the city of Al Ula in Medina province was also symptomatic and in stable condition.  Both men's illnesses were described as primary, meaning it's unlikely they contracted the virus from another person.

comment: the CFR (case fatality Ratio)?

The new cases raise Saudi Arabia's overall MERS-CoV total to 1,693 cases, 686 of them fatal.

40% - more than 8 times that which could shutdown the government. A vaccine needs to be developed for MERS. Soon.

Medclinician



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"not if but when" the original Medclinician



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