The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been notified of a new Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) case in Saudi Arabia, it announced on October 2.

The patient, a male aged between 50 and 55 travelling from the Eastern Region of the Kingdom, had underlying health conditions and no known contact with camels or involvement in the healthcare sector, Saudi health authorities reported.

The man developed symptoms on 28 August, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, and palpitations whilst on flight. He was admitted to a local hospital on 31 August for cardiac treatment and later transferred to a medical complex.

Despite medical advice, he discharged himself on 1 September, the Saudis reported. Some 36% of patients with MERS have died, according to the WHO, raising concerns of another global pandemic. 

A nasopharyngeal swab taken that day tested positive for MERS on 4 September through Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing.

The WHO announced the news of the infection more than a month later, indicating several more cases could be ongoing in the country, but not yet disclosed to authorities.  

Before his positive result, the patient travelled to Pakistan on 2 September, indicating the virus may have travelled to that country.

Saudi health officials traced and monitored 23 health workers, one household member, and two other patients who had come into contact with the man, but no secondary cases were detected. One contact, who had travelled to South Asia, also tested negative for MERS coronavirus.

The patient was located in Pakistan after notification of the positive result and was transferred to a public hospital, where he was isolated and treated.

Follow-up tests showed he had a low viral load, and 41 samples from his contacts in Pakistan tested negative. The man was discharged from hospital on 13 September after testing negative for MERS and has since fully recovered.

Saudi Arabia has reported five MERS cases, including four deaths, since the beginning of the year. This is the first reported case since May 2024. WHO's risk assessment for MERS remains moderate at both the global and regional levels.

MERS shows itself as a disease of fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is a common finding, but not always present. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, have also been reported. Severe illness can cause respiratory failure that requires mechanical ventilation and support in an intensive care unit, similar to COVID-19.

The virus appears to cause more severe disease in older people, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic diseases such as renal disease, cancer, chronic lung disease and diabetes.

Since April 2012, and as of early August 2024, a total of 2,622 cases of MERS, including 953 deaths (36%), have been reported worldwide. In 2024 alone, four MERS deaths have been reported in sections of Saudi Arabia, according to the local authorities.