(MENAFN- Arab Times) Dubai uae may 8 (agencies): five more people have died in saudi arabia after contracting an often fatal middle east respiratory virus as the number of new infections in the kingdom climbs higher health officials confirmed thursday. the saudi health ministry said in a statement posted online that the dead included two men previously confirmed to be suffering from the middle east respiratory syndrome in the islamic holy city of makkah and another two in the holy city of madinah. a 62-year-old woman who suffered from diabetes high blood pressure and asthma also died in riyadh. she was one of 14 newly confirmed cases of the disease reported thursday in the saudi capital and in the cities of jeddah taif and madinah.
authorities late wednesday reported an additional 18 confirmed cases and four fatalities. mers belongs to a family of viruses known as coronaviruses that include both the common cold and sars or severe acute respiratory syndrome which killed some 800 people in a global outbreak in 2003. mers can cause symptoms including fever breathing problems pneumonia and kidney failure. not everyone who contracts the virus that causes mers gets sick while others show only mild symptoms. there is no cure or vaccine.
the latest figures bring to 463 the number of confirmed cases in saudi arabia the site of most mers infections. a total of 126 people in the kingdom have died from the virus since it was first identified in 2012. the virus has since spread to other parts of the world including the united states which recently confirmed its first case in a health care worker returning from saudi arabia. scientists believe camels may play a role in primary infections.
the disease can then spread between people but typically only if they are in close contact with one another. many of those infected have been health-care workers. among those who died this week after contracting the virus was a filipino nurse working in riyadh carmelita dimzon head of the philippines' overseas workers welfare administration said thursday. a team of experts from the world health organization has completed a five-day mission to saud arabia to help health authorities there assess a recent rise in cases.
their mission included meetings with health officials in the capital and visits to two major hospitals in jeddah which has been the site of a number of recent infections. the who noted that most humanto- human infections have occurred in health-care facilities.
meanwhile the first case of the middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) coronavirus has been reported in lebanon the health ministry said on thursday. 'one case of a patient suffering from coronavirus was diagnosed this afternoon thursday may 8 2014' a statement from the health minister's office said adding the patient's health had improved after treatment. the disease a form of coronavirus has killed 121 people in saudi arabia since it was identified two years ago.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.