Credit ECDC
# 8629
With the recent spike in MERS cases in Saudi Arabia and the UAE - combined with its recent exportation to the US, Greece, Egypt, Malaysia, and the Netherlands – the ECDC has taken to updating their epidemiological update on this emerging coronavirus on a weekly basis.
In this edition the ECDC takes note of both the IHR Meeting this week, and the continued spread of the virus, but assesses the risks to the EU as being unchanged at this time:
ECDC continues to monitor information on the situation on MERS-CoV worldwide. In earlier Rapid Risk Assessments, ECDC concluded that the risk of importation of MERS-CoV to the EU was expected to continue and the risk of secondary transmission in the EU remains low. The conclusions of the assessment provided in the ECDC rapid risk assessment (RRA) on 24 April 2014 remain valid.
As we’ve come to expect, these ECDC updates are both current, and filled with terrific graphics. Follow the link to read:
Epidemiological update: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
16 May 2014
ECDC notes the decision of Margaret Chan, the Director General of WHO, on 14 May 2014 not to call the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) as the conditions have not been met yet. This decision was based on the advice of the WHO Emergency Committee under the IHR on MERS-CoV. However the committee indicated that, based on current information, “the seriousness of the situation had increased in terms of public health impact, but that there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.”
Since April 2012 and as of 16 May 2014, 621 cases of MERS-CoV infection have been reported globally, including 188 deaths.
On 11 May 2014 a second imported case of MERS-CoV was confirmed by the United States Centers for Disease Control.
On 13 May 2014, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands reported the first imported case of MERS-CoV in the country. On 15 May 2014 a second case, who travelled with the first case, was reported.
Confirmed cases and deaths by region:
Middle East:
Saudi Arabia: 511 cases/160 deaths
United Arab Emirates: 67 cases/9 deaths
Qatar: 7 cases/4 deaths
Jordan: 9 cases/4 deaths
Oman: 2 cases/2 deaths
Kuwait: 3 cases/1 death
Egypt: 1 case/0 deaths
Yemen: 1 case/1 death
Lebanon: 1 case/0 deathsEurope:
UK: 4 cases/3 deaths
Germany: 2 cases/1 death
France: 2 cases/1 death
Italy: 1 case/0 deaths
Greece: 1 case/0 deaths
Netherlands: 2 cases/0 deathsAfrica:
Tunisia: 3 cases/1 deathAsia:
Malaysia: 1 case/1 death
Philippines: 1 case/0 deathsAmericas:
United States of America: 2 cases/0 deathsMost cases have either occurred in the Middle East or have direct links to a primary case infected in the Middle East. Local secondary transmission following importation was reported from the United Kingdom, France, and Tunisia.
