First Official MERS Death in UAE, MERS Virus Kills Patient in Abu Dhabi

Shortly after giving birth, a Jordanian expatriate has died in Abu Dhabi making this the first recorded death from the MERS virus in the United Arab Emirates, health officials said.

Shortly after giving birth, a Jordanian expatriate has died in Abu Dhabi, making this the first recorded death from the MERS virus in the United Arab Emirates, health officials said.

The 32-year-old woman had been diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus last month when she was eight months pregnant.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome - Causes Diagnosis Treatment Complications FAQ
ARDS is a lung condition where the patient suffers from sudden breathlessness, low blood oxygen levels and lung inflammation that could progress to respiratory failure.

So far her newborn son has not tested positive for the disease but the World Health Organisation said "further investigations into close contacts of the family, the newborn baby and healthcare workers are ongoing."

However both her 38-year-old husband and their elder son, eight, have been diagnosed as being infected.

"The condition of both husband and son is currently stable and they are receiving the required care," state news agency WAM reported late Monday.

MERS Virus Strikes Jordan Couple in UAE, Say Sources
In the United Arab Emirates, two new cases of the potentially deadly MERS respiratory virus have been reported.

The WHO said the elder son had "mild respiratory symptoms" and was being kept in isolation in hospital.

The WHO says it has been informed of 163 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS worldwide since September last year, including 70 deaths.

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.'

Saudi Arabia is by far the worst affected country, accounting for 55 deaths out of 130 confirmed cases.

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

New MERS Death in Saudi
A new MERS death was confirmed by Saudi health authorities on Wednesday.

It 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.

In August, researchers pointed to Arabian camels as possible hosts of the virus.

But the Jordanian family infected in Abu Dhabi "had no travel history, no contact with a known confirmed case and no history of contact with animals," the WHO said.

Like SARS, MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering from a temperature, cough and breathing difficulties.

But it differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure and the extremely high death rate has caused serious concern.

Source-AFP