Saudi Arabia reports spike of 49 new Cases of deadly MERS virus.

Saudi Arabia reports spike of 49 new Cases of deadly MERS virus. (RT).

Saudi Arabia confirmed 20 new cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus on Saturday and Sunday, meaning that 49 new cases have been registered in the span of only six days. Further cases were announced in the United Arab Emirates.

MERS is a SARS-like disease which kills approximately one-third of people that become infected. There is currently no cure for it. It was first discovered in Saudi Arabia two years ago and has so far infected 244 people. Seventy-six of those have died, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

However, Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabia told reporters on Sunday that there has not yet been any scientific justification for further cautionary measures such as the implementation of travel restrictions.

He added that he was unsure of the reasons for the sudden spike in cases – specifically in Jeddah, the main gateway to the Islamic holy city of Mecca, in the country’s west – but said that it may be because of seasonal trends, as last year there was also an increase in registered cases around April and May.

Thirty-seven people have contracted the illness in Jeddah alone since Monday. Seven have died. Ten cases were reported in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, of which one person died. Further cases were found in Najran Province and the city of Medina.

There have also been rumors of unconfirmed cases on social media. However, the country has asked that only cases confirmed by the Health Ministry be reported. Hmmmm....As i mentioned last year, there's still a 'missing link', perhaps the new spike in cases is because of a 'seasonal' carrier suddenly reappearing.

For more in depth info on MERS-Cov follow the website CROFT.

Related:

Kuwait: Follow-up on the suspected Dutch MERS case

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Via Al-Shahed: Suspicion of injury Corona Hospital in Farwaniya. The Google translation:

Farwaniya Hospital yesterday announced a state of alert, after a suspected injury arrivals corona virus, where the patient has been isolated in a private room while making sure of having the virus or not. The director of the health district Farwaniya Jamal Sultan: 

The situation of the Dutch expatriate suspected wound was infected with the new coronavirus or swine flu, where he was injured some of the symptoms that are similar to many of the symptoms of these viruses. 

In the same context, sources confirmed healthy informed of «witness» he was sure not injury case any of the viral coronavirus or swine flu, after conducting the necessary tests, indicating that turned out to be infected with a bacterial severe, were taken remedial actions necessary to him, and went from the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Saudi Arabia: Ministry accused of falsifying information on MERS cases

Thanks to FluTrackers for picking up this report from the Saudi Gazette: Ministry accused of falsifying information on MERS cases. It confirms the Arabic reports mentioned here yesterday.

A Saudi poet who contracted the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has accused the Ministry of Health of falsifying records on the number of patients afflicted with the disease. 

He also threatened to reveal the actual figures on the increasing number of patients with MERS. 

Mohammad Al-Dehaimi told Al-Hayat daily that he had a 39.9C fever and tests showed he had contracted the disease. 

Doctors, however, assured him that his condition was still in its preliminary stage, was not life-threatening and that he would recover. 

He said the Ministry of Health did not bother to test his family members or friends for the virus. 

"I am ready to confront the minister of health and will take responsibility for my words that MERS cases are in the hundreds and the ministry is hiding this information by forcing its staff to not reveal any information," he said. 

The newspaper tried to contact the ministry’s spokesman, Dr. Khalid Marghalani, to verify Al-Dehaimi’s claims but received no response.