Three More MERS Deaths in Saudi Arabia

Report of three new deaths from MERS coronavirus in Saudi Arabia takes the number of fatalities from the disease in the kingdom to 142, said health ministry on Sunday.

The Middle East Respiratory System coronavirus has now infected 483 people in the Gulf nation since it first appeared in 2012, accounting for the vast majority of the 496 cases registered worldwide.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) - Causes Symptoms Treatment Prevention
MERS, a newly discovered respiratory disease, was recently reported in the Arabian region. MERS is caused by a virus similar to that causing common cold and other respiratory illnesses.

In its daily bulletin, the ministry said a 45-year-old man had died from MERS in Jeddah on the west coast, and two women aged 60 and 62 died in the capital, Riyadh.

The announcement came as the World Health Organisation prepared for an emergency meeting to discuss the disease on Tuesday.

The UN health agency's emergency committee has already met four times to discuss the mysterious coronavirus.

Emergency Talks on Deadly MERS Virus to be Held by WHO on Tuesday
Amid concern over the rising number of cases in several countries, the World Health Organization is to hold an emergency meeting next week on the deadly MERS virus.

MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that broke out in Asia in 2003, infecting 8,273 people and killing nearly 800.

Like SARS, it appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering coughing, breathing difficulties and a temperature, but MERS differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure.

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.

Although most MERS infections have been in Saudi Arabia, cases have also been recorded in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and even the United States.

Most cases outside Saudi Arabia involve people who had traveled to the kingdom or worked there, often as medical staff.

Respiratory Diseases - Diseases of the Human Respiratory System
Respiratory diseases affect any part of the respiratory system. Some of the lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to respiratory failure.

Source-AFP