Latest news with #MERS-CoV
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
MERS Coronavirus Infection Remains A Threat In The Middle East
TOPSHOT - Camels are pictured with a drone during the annual King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Rumah, ... More some 160 kilometres east of Riyadh, on January 7, 2020. (Photo by Faisal AL-NASSER / AFP) (Photo by FAISAL AL-NASSER/AFP via Getty Images) President Trump recently completed a whirlwind tour of the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. As part of the welcome fanfare in Qatar his motorcade was escorted by royal camels. I wondered whether the President's entourage was aware that Saudi Arabia experienced a recent outbreak of potentially deadly MERS-CoV, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which is associated with camels. In the outbreak, Saudi Arabia reported nine cases of MERS-CoV infection that occurred between March 1 and April 21, 2025. Among the cases, there were two deaths, and a cluster of six healthcare workers were infected in Riyadh after exposure to a single patient. RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - MAY 13: U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed ... More bin Salman during an official state arrival ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Trump begins a multi-nation tour of the Gulf region focused on expanding economic ties and reinforcing security cooperation with key U.S. allies. (Photo by) MERS-CoV is a novel coronavirus, similar to the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes Covid. Like Covid, MERS can cause fatal respiratory failure. The natural host is considered dromedaries, which are single-humped Arabian camels found in the hot desert environment of the Arabian Peninsula, as opposed to Bactrian, or two-humped camels found in Asia. MERS-CoV infection is associated with close contact with dromedary camels. Like Covid, once humans are infected, they can spread the virus to others. MERS first surfaced in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. Since then, 2,627 cases have been reported in 27 countries, with 946 deaths (36% fatality rate). The majority (84%) of cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia, and cases have been identified only in the Middle East since 2019. A handful have been reported each year since 2021; however, given that MERS is contagious and is lacking countermeasures, it has been listed by the WHO as a priority pathogen of concern with pandemic potential. The recent Saudi Arabia case cluster illustrates the devastation potential and risk of transmission once MERS-CoV gains access to the healthcare environment. In South Korea a large outbreak in 2015 spread through medical facilities and led to 186 confirmed cases, with 38 deaths (20% death rate). The index case had traveled to the Middle East. Saudis wear mouth and nose masks as they watch camels at their farm on May 12, 2014 outside Riyadh. ... More Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens and foreign workers to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels to avoid spreading the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus as health experts said the animal was the likely source of the disease. AFP PHOTO/FAYEZ NURELDINE (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) As with other severe respiratory viruses, common signs and symptoms of MERS infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and pneumonia. Some patients may also have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Although MERS has a high death rate, it presents with a wide range of illness, from asymptomatic to respiratory failure and death. Asymptomatic cases may spread the virus unknowingly and since they may not be identified, the death rate may be an overestimate. Individuals with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart, lung, or kidney disease or cancer are at greater risk of severe illness. MERS spreads initially to humans by direct or indirect contact with infected dromedaries. Infected humans infected can then transmit it to others through contact or respiratory secretions when they cough or sneeze. MERS should be considered in anyone who develops severe respiratory symptoms and fever within 14 days of contact with dromedary camels or travel to the Arabian Peninsula, especially if they have visited a healthcare facility. Additional risk could come from close contact with someone who becomes ill after recent travel to the Arabian Peninsula. There are no specific treatments yet for MERS other than supportive care, and there are no vaccines, although research is being conducted on these. The main thing to do is avoid direct contact with the secretions of camels and avoid ill individuals with potential risk. Infection control measures in hospitals that were utilized to prevent Covid transmission are also beneficial for preventing the spread of MERS, which may have impacted the low numbers of cases since 2021. Royal camels certainly make an exciting welcome display in the Middle East, but you might want to think twice before climbing onto that camel for a ride in the desert.
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Sudan Refugees, Aid For Syrian Returnees, MERS Alert In Saudi Arabia, Venezuela Urged To End Secret Detentions
14 May 2025 The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Wednesday that most of the new arrivals are women and children. Many have come from Zamzam camp and the city of El Fasher, locations targeted by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who've been fighting forces of the military government for more than two years. In Chad, the high numbers of those arriving are putting significant strain on overwhelmed resources. Exhausted and victimised Aid teams say that many refugees arrive exhausted after walking for days because they are unable to afford transport. They report being victims of targeted attacks, looting and sexual violence. Numerous children have been injured, families separated, and others remain missing, the refugee agency said. Immediate needs in Chad include shelter, food, medical care and psychological support but the $409 million refugee response appeal is only 20 per cent funded. Syria's returnees desperately need help to start over Syrians trying to rebuild their lives in their war-torn country urgently need the support of the rest of the world to help them start again, UN aid agencies said on Wednesday. Hopes rose this week in Damascus following Donald Trump's move to end punitive sanctions – but after more than 13 years of civil war that ended with the fall of the Assad regime last December, many communities today face a range of basic problems. These include unreliable access to electricity, clean water and healthcare. Records destroyed The destruction of public records is also preventing returnees from accessing essential services or claiming housing and land rights, according to the UN migration agency, IOM. Its Director-General, Amy Pope, insisted Syrians were resilient and innovative but that they needed help, now. 'Enabling (them) to return to a country that is on the path to stability and progress is critical for the country's future,' she insisted. A new IOM report from more than 1,100 communities across Syria found that work is scarce, partly because farming and markets are still struggling to recover. Shelter reconstruction is also needed urgently, while unresolved property issues continue to prevent people from rejoining their communities. Since January 2024, the UN agency has recorded more than 1.3 million returnees previously displaced within Syria, in addition to nearly 730,000 arrivals from abroad. WHO issues warning over deadly MERS outbreak in Saudi Arabia A recent outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia has raised concerns after two people died from the disease between March and April. The World Health Organization (WHO) has released updated guidelines to help contain the outbreak, which has seen nine confirmed cases – seven of them in the capital, Riyadh. Several of those infected were healthcare workers who caught the virus from a patient. MERS is caused by a zoonotic coronavirus, from the same family of viruses as COVID-19. While WHO estimates the fatality rate to be around 36 per cent, the true figure may be lower, as mild cases often go undiagnosed. Despite the recent cases, the risk of wider spread remains moderate at both the regional and global levels, according to WHO. MERS is primarily carried by dromedary camels and can be passed to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Human-to-human transmission usually happens in healthcare settings, through respiratory droplets or close contact. No vaccine, no cure Much like COVID-19, MERS can range from no symptoms at all to severe respiratory illness, including acute respiratory distress — and in some cases, death. There's currently no vaccine or specific treatment. To stop the virus from spreading, WHO urges hospitals and clinics to step up infection prevention and control measures, especially where suspected cases are being treated. Since MERS was first identified in 2012, it has caused 858 deaths across 27 countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Call for Venezuela to end secret detention of political opponents Top independent human rights experts have urged the Venezuelan authorities to stop the reported practice of holding political opponents incommunicado. In an alert on Wednesday, they insisted that these 'targeted detentions' were illegal and amounted to enforced disappearance, a major human rights violation if proved and potentially an international crime. They maintained that using secret detention was a deliberate strategy by the State 'to silence opposition figures…and to instill fear among the population'. Lack of legal protection The mission pointed to a widespread lack of 'effective judicial protection' for civil society in Venezuela and accused State security forces of colluding with the Public Prosecutor's Office. The services allegedly responsible for detentions include the national intelligence service, the national guard and military counterintelligence. The mission's independent rights experts also maintained that criminal courts and the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice were also 'complicit' by ensuring that the alleged crimes went unpunished. The Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela was created by the Human Rights Council in 2019; its members are not UN staff and they work in an independent capacity.
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Warning after two deaths in outbreak of deadly disease MERS
Warning after two deaths in outbreak of deadly disease MERS The disease is much more deadly than Covuid, with a mortality rate of 35% MERS is much more deadly than Covid The World Health Organisation has issued an alert after an outbreak of a deadly virus with a mortality rate of 35% . Between March 1 and April 21, 2025, the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia reported nine cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Two people have so far died. Among the nine cases, a cluster of seven was identified in Riyadh, including six health and care workers who acquired the infection from caring for a single infected patient. The cluster was identified through contact tracing and subsequent testing of all contacts, with four of the six health and care workers being asymptomatic and two showing only mild, nonspecific signs. A WHO spokesman said: "These cases show that the virus continues to pose a threat in countries where it is circulating in dromedary camels and spilling over into the human population. WHO recommends implementation of targeted infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to prevent the spread of health-care-associated infections of MERS-CoV and onward human transmission." MERS is a viral respiratory illness caused by the MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus), which is part of the coronavirus family—the same family that includes SARS and COVID-19. It was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Symptoms include a fever, cough, shortness of breath, often severe pneumonia and stomach problems such as diarrhoea, can also occur. Article continues below Outside of the Middle East, the largest outbreak was in South Koprea in 2015 where 186 people caught the disease and 38 died. The risk is especially high for older adults and people with underlying conditions like diabetes, kidney disease, or weakened immune systems. MERS doesn't spread as easily as COVID-19 but is far more lethal when it does. WHO has also issued a warning over another virus outbreak. Since August 2024, widespread transmission of chikungunya virus disease has been documented in La Réunion as well as increasing locally transmitted cases in Mayotte. Although chikungunya outbreaks and endemic transmission occur annually in several countries and territories around the world, the Indian Ocean islands have not experienced major outbreaks for nearly two decades. Article continues below In La Réunion, over 47,500 cases and twelve associated deaths have been reported as of May 4, 2025, with sustained high transmission across the island. In Mayotte, the first locally transmitted cases since 2005–2006 have been detected, raising concern about similar large outbreaks. Public health response measures, including enhanced surveillance, vector control activities, and novel targeted vaccination efforts, have been implemented to contain the outbreaks, however further outbreak activity in the islands of the Indian Ocean can be expected.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Close Relative of Highly Fatal Coronavirus Discovered in Brazil's Bats
Brazil's bats are harboring a vast and diverse pool of coronaviruses, a new study finds, including a newly identified strain that may pose a danger to human health in the years to come. Scientists are taking the threat seriously and will soon conduct testing in a secure lab to see if the variant really could spill over to our own species. The discovery is cause for concern because the strain is eerily reminiscent of the bat-borne virus behind Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) – a contagion that causes a very high case fatality rate of nearly 35 percent in humans. Since its identification in 2012, the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has caused 858 known deaths, mostly in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. While mild cases are likely underreported, this virus holds the highest case fatality rate of all the known coronaviruses that can infect humans, making it the most lethal. For comparison, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS‑CoV‑2, has a human case fatality rate of around 2 percent, according to a 2022 study. Scientists in Brazil and China discovered the close relative of MERS-CoV while testing 16 different bat species in Brazil for pathogens. Taking more than 400 oral and rectal swabs from bats, the international team, led by Bruna Stefanie Silvério from the Federal University of São Paulo, identified seven distinct coronaviruses. These were harbored by just two species: Molossus molossus (an insect-eater) and Artibeus lituratus (a fruit bat). Only one of the viral variants shares an evolutionary history with MERS-CoV. Until now, members of the MERS-CoV family had only been documented in bats of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. This indicates that "closely related viruses are circulating in South American bats and expanding their known geographic range," according to the authors. Scientists have known that viruses found in bats are a threat to human safety since long before the 2020 pandemic. In 2002, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, became the first pandemic transmissible disease in the 21st century to have an unknown origin. The fatality ratio of this viral outbreak reached around 10 percent by the end of the epidemic in June 2003. Later, researchers figured out that bats were a natural reservoir for SARS-like coronaviruses, and after years of hard work, they confirmed that SARS-CoV-1 spilled over from these wild mammals to ourselves. In 2012, yet another deadly coronavirus appeared on the scene. The MERS coronavirus was first identified in Saudi Arabia after most likely jumping from bats to camels to humans. While this virus spreads less easily among our own species, travelers have carried the infection to the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The discovery of a MERS-like strain in South America underscores the "critical role bats play as reservoirs for emerging viruses," write Silvério and her team. "Right now we aren't sure it can infect humans, but we detected parts of the virus's spike protein [which binds to mammalian cells to start an infection] suggesting potential interaction with the receptor used by MERS-CoV," explains Silvério. "To find out more, we plan to conduct experiments in Hong Kong during the current year." Since 2020, the world has taken the threat of coronaviruses spilling over from wild mammals to humans more seriously than ever before. The discovery of a threatening bat-borne virus in South America is certainly concerning, but it's also a point of comfort. Now that we know it exists, scientists can keep a close eye on the threat. "Bats are important viral reservoirs and should therefore be submitted to continuous epidemiological surveillance," argues co-author Ricardo Durães-Carvalho, biologist at the Federal University of São Paulo. Better the devil you know than the one you don't. The study was published in the Journal of Medical Virology. Regularly Giving Blood Could Benefit Your Own Health, Too 5 Early, Speech-Related Signs You're at Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Scientists Found The Silent 'Scream' of Human Skin For The First Time
