Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV): Perceptions, Predictions, Preventions and the Pilgrimage

Abstract

The past one year has witnessed the emergence of yet another novel human coronavirus, recently renamed as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus (MERS-CoV) after its first description in 2012 [1,2]. A decade earlier another related virus, the SARS-CoV was responsible for affecting over 8000 people and killing over 800 globally in 2002–2003. The majority of the cases of this new MERS-CoV infection which originated from the Middle East are reported from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). However, a few cases have also been reported from Qatar, UAE, Jordan, Tunisia, Italy, Britain, France and Germany mostly in patients who had either travelled to the Kingdom or were referred for further treatment. Interestingly enough only close family contacts, health care providers and other close contacts of the patients have acquired infection to a limited extent. Of the 90 laboratory confirmed cases at the time of writing this article 70 were reported from KSA alone. Out of 45 fatal cases of MERS-CoV infection 38 occurred in KSA. The majority of the cases in the Kingdom originated from Al Ahsa, its largest Eastern Province.