Virus World

Exposure unclear for two patients

One patient was a camel owner, while another had a history of indirect contact with camels. Exposure to the virus hasn't been determined for the other two patients, and none of the patients had consumed raw camel milk before their symptoms began. The WHO said there are no epidemiologic links between any of the patients, and no secondary cases were found. The WHO said MERS-CoV cases have declined substantially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said reasons could include public health actions prioritizing COVID-19 case detections or COVID-19 mitigation actions such as masking and physical distancing, which could reduce human-to-human transmission.

Cross-protection from COVID infection or vaccination?

The group also said it's possible that cross-protection from COVID-19 infection or vaccination may be playing a role. However, the WHO added that the hypothesis requires further investigation. The newly reported cases lift Saudi Arabia's number of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to 2,200, which includes 858 deaths. The WHO said the cases don't change its risk assessment, which remains at moderate globally and regionally. It said more cases are expected from Saudi Arabia and other countries where the virus circulates in dromedary camels.

W.H.O. report (Feb. 16, 2024):

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON506