By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (MOH) have reported three confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) infection since December 1. The cases are as follows:

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Image/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

One case reported by MOH on December 1 is a 62-year-old man from Riyadh who reported no contact with camels.

Then on December 10, MOH reported two additional cases:

A 40-year-old male in Alkhorma city, Taif region who did have contact with camels.

And a 53-year-old male in Alahsa city, Alahsa region who also had contact with camels.

All three cases reported this month are considered primary cases and none are healthcare workers.

Infection with MERS-CoV can cause severe disease resulting in high mortality. Humans are infected with MERS-CoV from direct or indirect contact with dromedary camels. MERS-CoV has demonstrated the ability to transmit between humans. So far, the observed non-sustained human-to-human transmission has occurred mainly in health care settings.

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic

MERS-CoV appears to cause more severe disease in people with underlying chronic medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and compromised immune systems. Therefore, people with these underlying medical conditions should avoid close unprotected contact with animals, particularly dromedary camels, when visiting farms, markets, or barn areas where the virus is known to be potentially circulating. General hygiene measures, such as regular hand washing before and after touching animals and avoiding contact with sick animals, should be adhered to.

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