Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS –CoV) update

According to the Department of Health’s latest update on the MERS Coronavirus, as of 2 July 2014, the WHO global case count was 826 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV, including 287 deaths. 

These figures include revised case numbers for Saudi Arabia. On 3 June 2014, the Saudi Ministry of Health announced that following a review of surveillance data, case numbers for the country were to increase by 20% and the number of deaths by 48%. Hence, while the WHO case count has increased dramatically, much of the increase relates to cases with onset prior to 6 May 2014. The number of new cases is decreasing compared with April and May 2014.