# 7962
A busy morning from the offices of the World Health Organization as we’ve a fresh GAR (Global Alert & Response) update on the MERS coronavirus as well as the earlier updates on Polio in Syria and the Typhoon health response in the Philippines.
This update concerns two cases from Saudi Arabia that we first learned about last Thursday (see Saudi MOH: Two New MERS Cases). Somewhat helpful, this update provides dates of illness onset and hospitalization – details that are often missing from KSA reports.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - update
Disease outbreak news
11 November 2013 - WHO has been informed of two additional laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia.
The first patient is a 72-year-old man from Riyadh with underlying medical conditions. He became ill on 23 October 2013, and has been hospitalised since 31 October 2013. The second patient is a 43-year-old man from Jeddah. He became ill on 27 October 2013 and has been hospitalised since 3 November 2013.
Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 153 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 64 deaths.
Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
Health care providers are advised to maintain vigilance. Recent travellers returning from the Middle East who develop SARI should be tested for MERS-CoV as advised in the current surveillance recommendations.
