WHO Reports Fresh Case of MERS-CoV in Abu Dhabi
25 July, 2023 | Anamika Singh Parihar
The WHO has said that it will continue to observe epidemiological situation and also conduct risk assessment regarding the MERS-CoV virus.
A case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a 28-year-old male from Al Ain city in Abu Dhabi was reported to WHO by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 10, 2023. There was no prior history of the case involving dromedaries, goats, or sheep, either directly or indirectly.
On June 8th, the patient was checked into the hospital. On June 23, 2023, a nasopharyngeal swab that had been obtained on June 21 tested positive for MERS-CoV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The 108 identified contacts were all kept under observation for 14 days after their last interaction with the patient. To date, no other cases have been found.
The patient was recognized as a 28-year-old man, a non-Emirati national living in AL Ain city, and a non-healthcare worker. He visited a private medical center multiple times between June 3 and June 7, 2023, complaining about vomiting, right flank pain, and dysuria (pain when passing urine).
The MERS-CoV Case Was Detected On June 8, First Case After July 2013
On June 8, the patient presented to a government hospital with vomiting and gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, acute pancreatitis, acute renal impairment, and sepsis were originally diagnosed in the case.
UAE reported its first case of MERS-CoV in July 2013 and since then 94 cases have been confirmed (including the latest one). Since 2012 2605 cases of MERS-CoV have been reported worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO) including, 936 related deaths.
Based on the currently available information WHO will continue to observe the epidemiological situation and also conduct risk assessment. According to WHO’s observation, further cases of MERS-CoV are expected to be reported from the Middle East and/or some other countries where the virus is circulating in dromedaries.
WHO accentuated the importance of strong surveillance and monitoring by all member states for acute respiratory infections and other associated symptoms.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory infection that is caused by a coronavirus called Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Humans are infected with MERS-CoV from direct or indirect contact with dromedary camels, the natural host and zoonotic source of the MERS-CoV infection.