In Saudi Arabia, Five New SARS-like Virus Cases Recorded

The Saudi health ministry revealed that it has recorded five new cases of a deadly SARS-like virus in the east of the oil-rich kingdom.

It identified those affected as elderly people aged between 73 and 85 who had been grappling with chronic illnesses.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
SARS is a viral respiratory disease caused by SARS-associated coronavirus.

The announcement came as France's first victim of the nCoV-EMC novel coronavirus -- a cousin of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that sparked a world health scare in 2003 -- died on Tuesday.

The 65-year-old man is thought to have contracted the virus in Dubai, and a man who shared a hospital room with him in France is also affected.

Saudi Arabia counts by far the most cases of the new virus, with more than 30 confirmed infections and 18 fatalities. Cases have also been detected in Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and Britain.

Death Toll Caused by SARS-Like Virus in Saudi Rises to 18
The death toll caused by SARS-like coronavirus in Saudi Arabia has risen to 18 after health officials reported of the death of an 81-year old woman who died due to the virus.

The virus, which has killed 24 people so far, was last week redubbed the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, or MERS.

SARS erupted in east Asia 10 years ago, leaping to humans from animal hosts and eventually killing some 800 people.

Saudi Arabia to Send Animal Samples to US in SARS-like Virus Probe
The Saudi health ministry said that it would send samples taken from animals possibly infected with a deadly SARS-like virus to the United States for testing in a bid to find the source of disease.

Like SARS, the new virus appears to cause an infection deep in the lungs, with patients suffering from a temperature, cough and breathing difficulty, but it differs from SARS in that it also causes rapid kidney failure.

Source-AFP

WHO Concerned Over Potential Spread of SARS-Like Virus Among Humans
The World Health Organization deputy chief has voiced deep concern over the potential spread of SARS-like virus that has so far killed 22 people in less than a year.