The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published some data on the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) surge in the Middle East and a summary on human H9N2 cases since the first case in 1998 in their weekly Communicable disease threats report.
MERS in the Middle East
Since the beginning of the year, 77 MERS-CoV cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia (67) and Oman (10) through Feb. 19. This includes 16 fatalities–12 in Saudi Arabia and four in Oman.
In Saudi Arabia, the bulk of the cases have been reported in two cities– Wadi Aldwasir (44) and Riyadh (13).
29 cases were primary, 25 healthcare-acquired, 10 household contacts and 3 under investigation. Of the primary cases, 14 reported camel contact.
Human H9N2 avian influenza
ECDC reports that since the first human influenza A(H9N2) infections were reported in China in 1998, 52 laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, have been reported globally.
Cases occurred in China (45), Egypt (4) and Bangladesh (3). Additionally, one case has been detected in Pakistan in 2015, according to literature.
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