The World Health Organization recently reported on an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the city of Dumah Al Jandal, Saudi Arabia that affected 26 people. Thirteen of the cases were linked to a hospital outbreak, according to WHO statistics reported by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

The index case involved a 51-year-old man with underlying conditions whose illness was reported on Aug 2 and who died on Aug 8. Contact tracing identified 12 other MERS-CoV infections, including 8 healthcare workers, all of whom were asymptomatic.

One of the patients, a 70-year-old man who was hospitalized, died on Aug 11, and three are household contacts, males aged 12, 16, and 21.

Saudi Arabia battled three small hospital outbreaks earlier this summer, all from Riyadh. In a recent risk assessment, the WHO said hospital-related cases in Saudi Arabia declined significantly in 2015 and 2016 owing to improvements in infection prevention and control as well as in surveillance and outbreak response.

Read more at www.cidrap.umn.edu