21 February 2024 MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia, 2023–2024.

February 21, 2024

Between August 13, 2023 and February 1, 2024, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Health Saudi Arabia 4 cases of coronavirus infection were registered Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), including 2 deaths. Cases were registered in the regions of the city. RiyadhEast and Kassim from Saudi Arabia. Laboratory confirmation of cases was performed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between October 10, 2023 and November 16, 2023.

Four cases They had concomitant diseases and none of them were medical professionals. Two cases were men and two women, ranging in age from 59 to 93 years. Between September 15, 2023 and October 26, 2023, people who fell ill developed symptoms including fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Two deaths occurred on October 19, 2023 and December 24, 2023.

Of the four cases, one was a camel owner and the other had a history of indirect contact with dromedaries because their relatives were camel owners. In the other two cases there was no clear history of exposure to known risk factors. No one reported a history of consuming raw camel milk within the 14 days before symptom onset. The epidemiological relationship between these cases is unknown.

Since the first report of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia in 2012. 2,200 human cases, including 858 deaths. Overall, human cases of MERS-CoV infection have been reported in 27 countries across all six WHO regions. Of the 2,609 MERS-CoV cases and 939 deaths reported worldwide, 84% and 91%, respectively, were reported in Saudi Arabia, including these new reported cases and deaths. Since 2019, no cases of MERS-CoV disease have been reported outside the Middle East.

Local risks Saudi Arabia

Additional information about MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia