Middle East respiratory syndrome: global summary and assessment of risk - 16 November 2022

Overview

Between 2012 and 17 October 2022, 2600 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection have been reported to WHO, of which 84% (2193/2600) have been reported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Figure 1). Cases of MERS have been reported from 27 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, the United States of America, and Asia (Table 1). Males above the age of 60 with an underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and renal failure, are at a higher risk of severe disease, including death. To date, 935 MERS-related deaths have been reported to WHO (crude case fatality rate: 36%).