The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed on Monday a new case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the city of Al Ain in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
According to the global health body, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point (IHR NFP) of the UAE notified WHO of a confirmed case of MERS-CoV on July 10.
The patient, who is a 28-year-old male living in the UAE’s capital, was admitted to the hospital on June 8. He was complaining of vomiting and gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea, and was given an initial diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, acute kidney injury, and sepsis.
“On 13 June, he was in critical condition and referred to an intensive care unit (ICU) at a specialized government tertiary hospital where he was put on mechanical ventilation. He deteriorated and a nasopharyngeal swab was collected on 21 June and tested positive for MERS-CoV by PCR on 23 June 2023,” WHO said.
The WHO said that the patient is a non-Emirati national and a non-healthcare worker. He has no known co-morbidities, no history of contact with MERS-CoV human cases, and no recent travel outside the UAE. He has also no known history of direct contact with animals including dromedary camels, nor consumption of their raw products.
“All 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.
The first case of MERS-CoV in the UAE was reported in July 2013, with 94 confirmed cases (including this new case) and 12 deaths. Globally, the total number of confirmed MERS-CoV cases reported to WHO since 2012 is 2605, including 936 associated deaths.
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.
WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conducts risk assessments based on the latest available information. WHO expects 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.
