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Infectious diseases
Diseases
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
Key facts
MERS is a severe respiratory disease caused by MERS-coronavirus (MERS‐CoV), a new virus first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
Typical MERS symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Pneumonia is common but not always present. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, have also been reported.
Travellers to the Middle East have acquired the infection after exposure to infected animals, animal products or human cases (such as in a health care setting).
MERS-CoV fact sheet
Content 1
Hospital outbreaks
MERS-CoV does not seem to pass easily from person to person but transmission is more likely in certain settings, such as occurs when providing unprotected care to a patient.
Hospitals outbreaks of MERS-CoV are well known, making the strict and timely application of appropriate infection prevention and control measures vital.
Content 2
Global update
At the end of August 2018, a total of 2249 confirmed cases of MERS-CoV, including 798 associated deaths (case–fatality rate: 35.5%) were reported globally; 83% of these cases were reported from Saudi Arabia.
Additional cases of MERS-CoV infection are expected to be reported from the Middle East and sporadic cases will continue to be exported from there to other countries by travellers.
To date, no cases have been associated with Hajj.
WHO MERS-CoV updates
Content 3
Health Professionals
2018 Hajj and MERS-CoV alert for clinicians 16 Aug 2018 (pdf)
Australian Department of Health MERS website
WHO MERS website
USCDC MERS website
Content 4
Travel advice
WHO have provided
Travel advice for people making pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia
NSW Health also provides
Hajj travel advice
with information for pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj or Umrah
Also note the Australian Government's Smartraveller
Travel advice for Saudi Arabia
and the Australian Department of Health
Information for travellers about MERS
.
Content 5
MERS resources
MERS-CoV Factsheet
MERS-CoV Control Guideline
Hajj/Umrah Travel Health Advice
Travel Alert Posters for Patient Waiting Rooms
Information card for travellers about MERS
More information
Content 6
Risk from camels
Camels in the Middle East are suspected to be the primary source of infection for humans.
Travellers in the Middle East should:
avoid all contact with camels
not drink raw camel milk or camel urine
not eat camel meat unless it has been properly cooked.
Content 7
Content 8
Page Updated: Wednesday 3 October 2018
Contact page owner:
Communicable Diseases