The World Health Organisation said the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has notified of a case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in a 28-year-old male from Al Ain city in Abu Dhabi.
According the world body on Monday, the case had no history of direct or indirect contact with dromedaries, goats, or sheep while the patient was admitted to the hospital on 8 June.
It stated further that a nasopharyngeal swab was collected on 21 June and tested positive for MERS-CoV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on 23 June 2023.
The WHO revealed that 108 identified contacts were monitored for 14 days from the last date of exposure to the MERS-CoV patient. No secondary cases have been detected to date.
It added that since July 2013, when the UAE reported the first case of MERS-CoV, 94 confirmed cases (including this new case) and 12 deaths have been reported.
While noted that globally, the total number of confirmed MERS-CoV cases reported to WHO since 2012 is 2 605, including 936 associated deaths.
WHO assured that it will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and conducts risk assessments based on the latest available information.
WHO expected that additional cases of MERS-CoV infection will be reported from the Middle East and/or other countries where MERS-CoV is circulating in dromedaries.
The Body re-emphasised the importance of strong surveillance by all Member States for acute respiratory infections, including MERS-CoV, and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory infection that is caused by a coronavirus called Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
Humans are infected with MERS-CoV from direct or indirect contact with dromedary camels who are the natural host and zoonotic source of the MERS-CoV infection.
MERS-CoV infections range from asymptomatic or mild respiratory symptoms to severe acute respiratory disease and death.
A typical presentation of a person with MERS-CoV disease is fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is a common finding, but not always present. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, have also been reported.