In its latest biannual update on Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported four new cases since September 6, 2024, two of them fatal.
MERS is an often-severe respiratory infection caused by the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), leading to symptoms such as fever, shortness of breath, and cough. It spreads among camels and can infect humans, usually through direct or indirect contact with camels. The virus rarely spreads from person to person.
Of the four infected men aged 27 to 78 years, all of whom had underlying medical conditions, one was exposed to the virus in a hospital, and one was indirectly exposed to camels and their raw (unpasteurized) milk. None were healthcare workers. The cases were reported in Saudi Arabia’s Hail (2), Riyadh (1), and Eastern (1) provinces.
No vaccine or specific treatment is currently available, although several MERS-CoV–specific vaccines and therapeutics are in development.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health followed up on the men’s close contacts, finding no other secondary infections. The last case was reported on February 4, 2025.
“The notification of these four cases does not alter the overall risk assessment, which remains moderate at both the global and regional levels,” the WHO said. “The reporting of these cases shows that the virus continues to pose a threat in countries where it is circulating in dromedary camels, particularly those in the Middle East.”
Case-fatality 36% since 2012
Since MERS was first detected in humans in Saudi Arabia in 2012, 2,618 people from 27 countries in all six WHO regions have been infected, with a case-fatality rate of 36%. The vast majority of cases, 84%, have been identified in Saudi Arabia. No MERS infections have been reported outside the Middle East since 2019.
“No vaccine or specific treatment is currently available, although several MERS-CoV–specific vaccines and therapeutics are in development,” the WHO wrote. “Treatment remains supportive, focusing on managing symptoms based on the severity of the illness.”
