The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday announced one new case of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and confirmed five new cases on Monday and over the weekend, including a fatal one, as the World Health Organization (WHO) provided details on six previously reported cases. Two of the new cases, both in Riyadh, involve household contact with a previous MERS patient, while the other three involve contact with camels. The Riyadh cases involve a pair of 30-year-old expatriates. The one reported on Monday is in stable condition, while the one reported on Sunday is hospitalized in critical condition, the MOH said. The ministry noted two other cases on Monday, both in Riyadh region and both involving older Saudi men with recent camel contact. One case involves a 72-year-old man in Al-Artawiyah, which is about 150 miles north-northwest of Riyadh. The other patient, age 68, is from Shaqra, about 100 miles west-northwest of Riyadh. Both are listed in stable condition. The MOH also confirmed a fatal MERS-CoV infection in a 50-year-old man in Muhayil in the southwestern part of the country. He had direct contact with camels. The five new MERS cases bring the total in the country since 2012 to 1,309, including 555 deaths. The WHO, meanwhile, posted an update on six recent Saudi cases in men, three in Al-Kharj. Saudi officials reported them to the WHO from Feb. 1 to Feb. 16, Three of the new cases proved fatal. The deaths were in 75- and 80-year-olds in Al-Kharj and a 34-year-old in Najran. All three had preexisting disease, and the 75-year-old had a history of frequent contact with camels and consuming raw camel milk. The other two reported no notable exposure history. The other cases involve a 41-year-old in Al-Kharj, a 78-year-old in Taif, and a 43-year-old in Riyadh. All three are in stable condition, with the first two in negative-pressure isolation rooms and the third in home isolation. Globally, since September 2012, the WHO has been notified of 1,644 lab-confirmed MERS cases, including at least 590 deaths, said the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. — SG
