Via CIDRAP, Robert Roos writes: More MERS-CoV deaths reported as clusters are profiled. Excerpt:
Another Saudi Arabian has been infected with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), while six others whose illnesses were previously announced have died, Saudi Arabian authorities and the World Health Organization announced today.
The latest reports raise the unofficial MERS-CoV tally to 50 cases with 30 deaths, for a case-fatality rate of 60%.
Also today, two medical journals published reports on MERS-CoV case clusters in France and Saudi Arabia, which reinforced the view that the virus does not spread very easily from person to person and suggested that its incubation period is as long as 12 days.
In a brief statement, the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) said the latest case is in a "new Saudi citizen," age 61, who has chronic diseases that include kidney failure. The statement said he lives in the Al-Ahsa region but did not say whether his case is related to the hospital-centered case cluster that began there in April.
The MOH also announced the deaths of three patients, aged 60, 58, and 24, whose cases were reported previously and who were hospitalized about a month ago. It said they all had chronic kidney failure and other diseases, but gave no other details.
Earlier today, the WHO reported the deaths of three other MERS-CoV patients, who apparently were among the five new cases that were reported by the Saudi MOH yesterday. The WHO said all five patients are from eastern Saudi Arabia but not from Al-Ahsa.
