Headlines

MERS-CoV Update as of March 7, 2015As of March 7, 2015, and since April 2012, the global tally of infections with the novel coronavirus (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, MERS-CoV) stands at 1,082 cases worldwide, including 439 deaths (40.6%). The majority of cases have been reported in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Saudi Arabia (1,057 cases, or 86.7%) and in 22 other countries. The number of reported cases has increased in the Arabian Peninsula in recent months. Since the beginning of 2015, Saudi Arabia has reported 113 cases of MERS-CoV, including 13 healthcare workers and 12 individuals reporting exposure to animals (5 had direct contact with camels or consumed camel milk). The outbreak appears to follow a seasonal pattern (May–June). The hypothesis put forward is that the start of the transmission period may correspond to the camel calving season. However, the source of contamination linked to MERS-CoV infection, as well as the mode of transmission to humans, remain poorly understood at this time. In France, the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (ISP) is conducting international surveillance of this outbreak and has established a national surveillance system. From October 2012 to February 2015, among the 886 reports of suspected cases, 273 possible cases were tested, and among them, 2 cases of MERS-CoV infection were confirmed in May 2013.