The National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of 11 confirmed cases, including 2 deaths of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in September.
The cases were reported from Taif (5), Riyadh (3), Najran (1), Jubail (1) and Raniah (1). The median age of the 11 cases is 43 years old (ranging from 27 to 76 years old) and 10 (91%) are men.
Six cases (55%) suffered 1 or more co-morbidities, 2 (18%) reported contact with animals (e.g. sheep or camel) or the consumption of raw camel milk, and 4 (36%) are reported as healthcare workers or work in healthcare settings.
In addition, the WHO reports that Saudi Arabia also saw 4 confirmed MERS cases, including 2 deaths in the month of August.
Globally, 852 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV including at least 301 related deaths have been reported to WHO.
Related: Austria MERS case details released
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