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MERS case count grows
WHO has reported an additional four cases of human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, coronavirus since Friday.
To date, there have been 157 laboratory-confirmed MERS cases, including 66 deaths.
The most recent cases include a 75-year-old man from the United Arab Emirates who had pre-existing medical conditions. The patient, a national of Oman, became sick Oct. 1 and was hospitalized Oct. 12. He died Nov. 10.
The second patient is a 61-year-old man from Qatar who also had pre-existing medical conditions. He became ill Nov. 4 and was hospitalized Nov. 7. He is now in critical condition. An investigation revealed that the Qatar patient may have had contact with livestock.
An additional two patients from Kuwait are in critical condition: a 47-year-old man who became ill Oct. 30 and was hospitalized Nov. 7, and a 52-year-old man with underlying medical conditions who became sick Nov. 7 and was hospitalized Nov. 10.
WHO also reported that the first laboratory-confirmed MERS case in Oman, a 68-year-old patient, has died.
Based on present conditions, WHO's International Health Regulations Emergency Committee does not view the MERS outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, and the organization does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions as a result of the outbreak.