Saudi health officials confirmed 42 new cases of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) over the past week. Seven reportedly died from the fatal illness, increasing the death toll to 76.
Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabia told reporters on Sunday that medical authorities are still uncertain of the cause of the disease, although some studies indicated that the virus originated from camels. al-Rabia did say that Middle East Respiratory Syndrome appears seasonally - most people get infected during April and May, Reuters reported.
Majority of the MERS-CoV infections were detected in Jeddah, but there were also some cases reported in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including a Malaysian who just returned from a pilgrimage in Gulf.
The Saudi government released a statement that people shouldn't worry about the outbreak, as it is not yet considered epidemic by international standards. A disease is considered an epidemic if it spreads rapidly among people in the community at the same time. Since its detection two years ago, MERS-CoV has infected 244 people.
According to the Wall Street Journal, tensions ran high at medical facilities, as some ambulance crews refused to transport suspected victims. Meanwhile, drugstores quickly sold out of face masks worn for protection against the spread of MERS-CoV.
The respiratory virus has already reached other countries, including Greece, Malaysia, Yemen and the Philippines. The Philippine government released an order to have all the passengers who traveled on the Etihad April 15 flight tested to ensure they didn't carry the disease after one of the passengers was tested positive for MERS during an initial screening.
The Saudi government invited the World Health Organization (WHO) and other experts from different countries to discuss the situation and the manufacturing of a vaccine against MERS-CoV, spokesman of the Ministry of Health Dr. Khaled Marghalani said on Sunday, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.