WHO: Global MERS coronavirus case count rises to 136

With the addition of six recently confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases from Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organization has officially put the global case count at 136, according to a WHO update today.

This thin section, negatively-stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which was formerly known as novel coronavirus. Image/Maureen Metcalfe; Azaibi Tamin

According to the UN health body, the six new patients are from Riyadh region with ages from 14 to 79 years old, of which three are women and three men. The dates of onset of the patients range from 15 to 26 September 2013.

One patient has mild symptoms while the others are hospitalized. Three patients are contacts of previously confirmed cases with MERS-CoV, two are reported to have had no exposure to animals or a confirmed case, and there is no information on exposure of one patient.

Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 136 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 58 deaths.

In related news, the infectious disease news site, CIDRAP reports that the two-drug combination of mycophenolic acid and interferon-beta-1b may be effective against Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), according to the results of a cell-culture study published Thursday in the Journal of Infection.

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