Saudi MERS Toll Rises to 59

A new MERS death was confirmed by Saudi health authorities, bringing to 59 the number of people who have died from the coronavirus in the country.

The Saudi national, aged 60, died in hospital in the Riyadh region, said the health ministry on its website, adding that he had suffered from chronic disease.

Chinese Scientists Identify Compound That Blocks Deadly MERS Virus Infection
A compound that, in lab dish experiments, blocks infection by the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus has been identified, claim Chinese scientists.

The ministry said it has registered additional cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, bringing the total number to 143, including the fatalities.

The World Health Organisation said Monday that it has been informed of 180 cases of infection worldwide, including 77 deaths.

Experts are struggling to understand the disease, for which there is no vaccine.

Gene Mapping may Give Valuable Insight on the Spread of MERS Virus
Gene profiling of the MERS virus may provide valuable insights about how the microbe spreads, researchers from Britain and Saudi Arabia claim

MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died.

Source-AFP

First MERS Virus Case Found in Kuwait, MERS Patient Critically Ill
Kuwait's health ministry said it has discovered the first case of the MERS coronavirus in Kuwait and that the infected citizen suffering from MERS is in 'critical condition.'

MERS Virus Death Toll Hits 33
SARS-like virus MERS has raised the global death toll to 33, the WHO claims