New case of Mers virus confirmed in Al Ain, UAE

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers-CoV) had been identified in the capital of the UAE.

The International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) of the UAE informed the UN organization on July 10 about a 28-year-old patient from Al Ain city in Abu Dhabi.

“The case had no history of direct or indirect contact with dromedaries, goats, or sheep. The patient was admitted to the hospital on June 8. A nasopharyngeal swab was collected on June 21 and tested positive for Mers-CoV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on June 23,” the WHO said, adding that the man was a “non-Emirati and a non-healthcare worker”.

Following the last date of exposure to the Mers-CoV patient, all 108 identified contacts were observed for 14 days. To date, no other cases have been found.

Mers-CoV is a zoonotic virus that spreads between people and animals. Although the precise mode of transmission is still unknown, studies have demonstrated that humans become sick through direct or indirect contact with diseased dromedary camels. The WHO stressed that there was no animal interaction in the most recent case, though.

In July 2013, the UAE announced its first Mers-CoV case. Since then, there have been 94 confirmed cases, including this new instance, and 12 fatalities.

Globally, 2,605 confirmed Mers-CoV cases have been reported to WHO since 2012, along with 936 related deaths.