18 Cases of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia are Reported to WHO

Between Feb. 26, 2015 and March 2, 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of 18 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including five deaths. Details of the cases are as follows:

1. A 53-year-old, non-national male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 25 while admitted to a hospital since Feb. 16 due to an unrelated medical condition. The patient was admitted to the same hospital and treated by the same health workers as two laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases; however, he had no direct contact with the cases. The patient has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, he is in critical condition in ICU.

2. A 63-year-old male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 25 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 28. On Jan. 14, the patient underwent a surgical procedure for an unrelated medical condition. He has no history of exposure to any of the known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in critical condition in ICU.

3. A 61-year-old, non-national female from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 21 and was admitted to a hospital on March 1. The patient has comorbidities. She has no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently the patient is in critical condition in ICU.

4. A 57-year-old, non-national male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 24 and was admitted to hospital on Feb. 28. The patient has no comorbidities. He has no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward.

5. A 51-year-old, non-national, female health worker from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 21. The patient has comorbidities. She works in a hospital that treated a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case that was reported previously. The patient has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, she is in stable condition isolated at home.

6. A 60-year-old male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb.23 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 24. The patient had comorbidities. He had no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. The patient died on March 2.

7. A 64-year-old, non-national female from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 22 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 28. The patient has comorbidities. She has no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward.

8. A 74-year-old male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 20 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 27. The patient has comorbidities. He has no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in critical condition in ICU.

9. A 34-year-old, non-national male from Buridah city developed symptoms on Feb. 18 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 25. The patient has no comorbidities. He works in a hospital that treated laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases. The patient has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, he is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward.

10. A 61-year-old male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 21 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 26. The patient has comorbidities. He is a household contact of a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case that was reported previously. He has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in critical condition in ICU.

11. A 46-year-old, non-national, female health worker from Riyadh city developed symptoms on 22 February and was admitted to hospital on 27 February. The patient has no comorbidities. She has a history of providing care assistance to a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case that was reported in a previous DON on 6 March (case n. 3). The patient has no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in critical condition in ICU.
 
12. An 80-year-old male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 22 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 23. He visited the same hospital for an unrelated medical condition over 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Other laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases have been treated at this hospital. He had no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. The patient died on March 2.

13. A 45-year-old, non-national male from Buridah city developed symptoms on Feb. 22 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 26. The patient had comorbidities. He had no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. The patient died on March 2.

14. A 40-year-old, non-national, male health worker from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 20 and was admitted to hospital on Feb. 24. The patient has no comorbidities. He works in a hospital that treated laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases but he has no history of contact with these cases. He has no history of exposure to any of the other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, the patient is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward.

15. A 56-year-old, non-national male from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 25 and was admitted to a hospital on the same day. The patient has comorbidities but no history of exposure to any known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Currently, he is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward.

16. A 91-year-old female from Riyadh city developed symptoms on Feb. 24 while admitted to a hospital since Feb. 12 due to unrelated medical conditions. The patient had other comorbidities. She was admitted to the same hospital as other laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases; however, the patient has no epidemiological links with the cases. She had no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. The patient died on March 2.

17. A 40-year-old female from Aljouf city developed symptoms on Feb. 21 and was admitted to a hospital on the same day. The patient had comorbidities. On Feb. 17, she received care for an unrelated medical condition in a hospital that treated other laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV cases; however, the patient had no contact with these cases. She had no history of exposure to other known risk factors in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms. The patient died on Feb. 28.

18. A 51-year-old, non-national male from Khober city developed symptoms on Feb. 17 and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 24. The patient has comorbidities. He is a household contact of a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case that was reported previously. Currently, the patient is in stable condition in a negative pressure isolation room on a ward.

The National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also notified WHO of the death of six previously reported MERS-CoV cases.

Contact tracing of household contacts and healthcare contacts is ongoing for these cases.

Globally, WHO has been notified of 1059 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 394 related deaths.

Source: WHO