Kamis 08 May 2014 15:21 WIB

Saudi Arabia finds another 18 MERS cases as disease spreads

The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus is seen in an undated transmission electron micrograph from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Foto: Reuters/NIAID
The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus is seen in an undated transmission electron micrograph from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, RIYADH - Saudi Arabia had identified 18 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), it said late on Wednesday, pushing the total number of infections in the country so far to 449.

Four people died from the disease on Wednesday, taking the total death toll in Saudi Arabia to 121 since MERS, a form of coronavirus, was identified two years ago, the Health Ministry said in a statement on its website.

The rate of infection in Saudi Arabia has surged in recent weeks after big outbreaks associated with hospitals in Jeddah and Riyadh. The total number of infections nearly doubled in April and has risen by a further 21 percent already in May.

The World Health Organisation said on Wednesday the hospital outbreaks had been partly due to "breaches" in recommended infection prevention and control measures, but added that there was no evidence of a change in the virus's ability to spread.

Scientists around the world have been searching for the animal source, or reservoir, of MERS virus infections ever since the first human cases were confirmed in September 2012.

In humans, MERS cause coughing, fever and pneumonia. Cases have so far been reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Oman, Tunisia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Britain.

Eight of the new cases were in Jeddah, five in the capital Riyadh, one in Najran. There were three new cases in Medina and one in Mecca, two cities that receive large influxes of Muslim pilgrims from around the country and overseas. Half of them were in contact with people who had previously been diagnosed as having MERS, the ministry said.

sumber : Reuters
BACA JUGA: Update Berita-Berita Politik Perspektif Republika.co.id, Klik di Sini
Advertisement
Yuk Ngaji Hari Ini
يٰبَنِيْٓ اٰدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطٰنُ كَمَآ اَخْرَجَ اَبَوَيْكُمْ مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَنْزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْاٰتِهِمَا ۗاِنَّهٗ يَرٰىكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيْلُهٗ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْۗ اِنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيٰطِيْنَ اَوْلِيَاۤءَ لِلَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ
Wahai anak cucu Adam! Janganlah sampai kamu tertipu oleh setan sebagaimana halnya dia (setan) telah mengeluarkan ibu bapakmu dari surga, dengan menanggalkan pakaian keduanya untuk memperlihatkan aurat keduanya. Sesungguhnya dia dan pengikutnya dapat melihat kamu dari suatu tempat yang kamu tidak bisa melihat mereka. Sesungguhnya Kami telah menjadikan setan-setan itu pemimpin bagi orang-orang yang tidak beriman.

(QS. Al-A'raf ayat 27)

Berita Lainnya
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement