Situation at a Glance

This is the bi-annual update on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). From 13 August 2023 to 1 February 2024, four laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV, including two deaths, were reported to WHO by the Ministry of Health of the KSA, with the last case being reported on 26 October 2023. Close contacts of the four cases were followed up by the Ministry of Health, and no secondary cases were identified. The notification of these four cases does not change the overall risk assessment, with the risk being moderate at both the global and regional level. The reporting of these cases reiterates the need for global awareness of MERS-CoV as the virus continues to pose a threat in countries where MERS-CoV is circulating in dromedary camels, including those in the Middle East.