The Saudi Ministry of Health has announced a new death from the MERS coronavirus, bringing the death toll from the disease in the kingdom to 53. Meanwhile, the Omani Ministry of Health on Sunday declared the death of an Omani, a 68-year-old man suffering from various chronic diseases infected with the same virus. The Sultanate of Oman, a border with Saudi Arabia, has not yet known any case ofMERS coronavirus infection.
The kingdom of the United Arab Emirates, the first outbreak of the MERS coronavirus, is the country most affected in the world by this virus. It has indeed recorded 127 cases of infections, including 53 deaths, since the onset of the disease for a year.
According to the WHO, the virus, designated as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has already killed 64 out of 150 cases of laboratory-confirmed infections since September 2012 worldwide.
Misunderstood transmission of the virus
The MERS coronavirus against which no vaccine exists, is considered a cousin, more deadly but less contagious of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people worldwide in 2003, out of more than 8,000 people infected. . WHO believes the MERS coronavirus is carried by animals, but has so far failed to establish scientific evidence for transmission.
A dromedary tested positive for the MERS coronavirus
The Saudi Arabian health ministry said on Monday that a dromedary had “tested positive” for the MERS coronavirus. This is the first case of an animal infected with this virus.
This animal belonging to an inhabitant carrying the MERS coronavirus was “tested positive during preliminary laboratory analyzes”, indicated the Ministry of Health which indicated that “it” works with the Ministry of Agriculture and laboratories to isolate the virus and compare its genetic structure with that of the patient “.
And, “if the virus detected in dromedaries is identical to that of its master “, then” this would be a world first, and a possible way to identify the source of the virus “, added the ministry.
This statement may confirm a study published in August in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Researchers revealed that they had discovered anti MERS-CoV antibodies in the blood of camels in the Middle East.
Health recommendations
Coronavirus infection manifests with fever and respiratory signs which may be complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome. The incubation period is currently estimated at 10 days.
Where to get information in case of doubts:
A toll-free information number for the general public has been set up by the Ministry of Health: 0 800 13 00 00. Contact persons can be reached from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 7 pm.
