WHO urges vigilance on global situation of MERS

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that 19 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including four deaths, have be...

Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that 19 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including four deaths, have been reported globally so far this year, while stressing that the overall risk level remains moderate.

Of the 19 cases reported to WHO between the beginning of 2025 and Dec. 21, 17 were recorded in Saudi Arabia and two in France. The French cases were travel-related and involved individuals who had recently visited countries on the Arabian Peninsula, the agency said.

MERS is a viral respiratory disease caused by the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), with dromedary camels identified as a natural host and a source of human infection.

WHO said Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health reported seven MERS cases, including two deaths, between June 4 and Dec. 21 this year. The remaining cases were reported earlier in the year.

Cumulatively, from 2012 to Dec. 21, 2025, a total of 2,635 laboratory-confirmed MERS cases, including 964 deaths, have been reported worldwide, representing a case fatality rate of 37 percent.