Abu Dhabi: On Monday night, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed a case of the potentially lethal Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Abu Dhabi. The UN body stated that a 28-year-old man tested positive for the virus when he was hospitalized last month in Al Ain city.
According to the news agency Reuters, citing the WHO, health officials have already examined 108 individuals who had contact with the infected man, but no secondary infections have been found thus far.
The current condition of the infected man is still unknown.
Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that the man had contact with dromedary camels, which are known to spread the disease.
Here are some key points to know about MERS-CoV:
1. MERS-CoV was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
2. Since then, 27 countries have reported cases, including Algeria, Austria, Bahrain, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
3. The WHO has reported a total of 2,605 cases of the virus so far, with 936 associated deaths.
4. MERS is a zoonotic virus, meaning it can be transmitted between animals and people. In Saudi Arabia, most infections are believed to have occurred through unprotected contact with infected dromedary camels.
5. Symptoms of the virus include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath, and in some cases, it can lead to pneumonia.
