The Austria Ministry of Health reported on the second imported case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to a news release (computer translated).

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus /National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID

The previous imported case was reported in 2014.

According to local media reports (computer translated), the patient is a 67-year-old tourist from Saudi Arabia. He was diagnosed in Salzburg province and is currently hospitalized, according to the Salzburg government (computer translated).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since September 2012, they have been notified of 1,800 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 640 deaths. The viral infection has been reported from 27 countries to date.

The clinical spectrum of MERS-CoV infection ranges from no symptoms (asymptomatic) or mild respiratory symptoms to severe acute respiratory disease and death.

There are reports of human-to-human and non-human to human transmission of MERS-CoV.  The virus does not appear to pass easily from person to person unless there is close contact, such as providing unprotected care to an infected patient.

The route of transmission from animals to humans is not fully understood, but camels are likely to be a major reservoir host for MERS-CoV and an animal source of infection in humans.

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