Two individuals have sadly lost their lives after contracting the highly contagious Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), according to warnings from experts. These unnamed men, aged 42 and 85, were diagnosed with the disease in Saudi Arabia in November 2022 and March 2023, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Local health authorities have disclosed that another man, aged 83, also tested positive for the virus in Saudi Arabia but managed to survive.
MERS is a deadly virus, with a mortality rate of approximately 35 percent, claiming the lives of more than a third of those infected. It is typically transmitted from infected animals, such as camels, to humans. All three men who were infected had been in contact with camels and had consumed raw camel milk in the days leading up to the onset of their symptoms. Additionally, they all had underlying health conditions that could have exacerbated the severity of the disease.
Earlier in the year, MERS was also reported in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This virus was first identified by scientists in Jordan in 2012 and has since led to over 2,617 infections and 947 deaths. While most cases are concentrated in the Arabian Peninsula, isolated cases have been documented elsewhere, including one in the UK in 2018 and another in 2013.