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MERS 2012
About MERS 2012
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome MERS is caused by the MERS coronavirus MERS CoV, first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The virus originated in camels, which serve as the natural reservoir. Bats are the likely original host. MERS has a case fatality rate of approximately 35 percent, one of the highest of any respiratory virus. However, person to person transmission is limited, occurring mainly in healthcare settings. The largest outbreak outside the Middle East occurred in South Korea in 2015, introduced by a returning traveler. The South Korean outbreak involved 186 cases and more than 30 deaths. It was amplified by hospital transmission and by patients visiting multiple hospitals, a practice known as doctor shopping. No MERS vaccine has been licensed, though several candidates have been developed. MERS research contributed to coronavirus vaccine platforms that were rapidly adapted for COVID 19. As of 2024, the WHO had recorded approximately 2,600 MERS cases since 2012, with ongoing sporadic cases in the Arabian Peninsula.
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