WHO has published Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update. Excerpt:
On 12 July 2014, the National IHR Focal Point of the Islamic Republic of Iran reported to WHO an additional laboratory-confirmed case of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
The patient is a 67-year-old woman from Kerman Province. The patient had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and was admitted to a hospital on 6 June 2014 due to a COPD exacerbation. The patient was discharged on 14 June 2014 and continued treatment at home. She was in a stable condition until she developed severe acute respiratory symptoms and was readmitted to a hospital on 25 June 2014. The patient was laboratory-confirmed with MERS-CoV on 5 July 2014 and died on the same day.
The patient had no history of travel and no known history of contact with animals or consumption of raw camel milk products in the 14 days prior to becoming ill. The patient did not have known contact with a previously reported MERS-CoV case. However, during her first hospitalisation, the patient had close contact with another patient with severe acute respiratory infection.
Investigation of contacts in the health care facility and family of the case is ongoing.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia reported 3 deaths among previously reported MERS-CoV cases.
Globally, 837 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV including at least 291 related deaths have officially been reported to WHO.
