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MERS-CoV situation update

As of 9 January 2014, the WHO had received reports of 178 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV, including 75 deaths. The WHO also noted two probable cases in Spain in Hajj Pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia on 1 November 2013.

Most confirmed cases have been in residents of Saudi Arabia or in people who have travelled there (145 cases). Cases with severe symptoms have tended to be older, male and with underlying conditions, whilst mild and asymptomatic cases have tended to be of a range of ages, including children, and without underlying conditions. The median age of confirmed cases with a known age is 51 years.

More information is available from the Department of Health website.

Image by William Brawley on Flickr, used under Creative Commons licence

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