A new victim in Saudi Arabia has succumbed to a SARS-like virus that has struck in Britain and the Middle East, bringing the global toll from the mystery illness to nine, WHO reports.
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"Preliminary investigation indicated that the patient had no contact with previously reported cases," the WHO said in a statement. "Other potential exposures are under investigation."
Novel coronavirus -- known in health jargon as nCoV -- was first detected in the middle of last year.
Including the latest victim, a total of 15 cases have now been reported.
The nine fatalities have been clustered in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Britain. In the latter country, it affected a family, one of the members of which had visited the Middle East and Pakistan.
On Tuesday the WHO reiterated calls on its member states to remain vigilant for cases of severe acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
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Member states should promptly assess and notify WHO of any new case of infection with nCoV, along with information about potential exposures that may have resulted in infection, it added.
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Coronaviruses cause most common colds and pneumonia, but are also to blame for unusual conditions such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known by its acronym SARS.
A SARS epidemic killed more than 800 people when it swept out of China in 2003, sparking a major international health scare.
The new virus however is different from SARS, especially in that it causes rapid kidney failure.
Source-AFP