Germany MERS update: WHO Global Alert and Response

It was reported yesterday that Germany has seen their third imported Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) since 2012 in a German resident who traveled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)/Cynthia Goldsmith; Azaibi Tamin

The World Health Organization (WHO) offered more details today in a Global Alert and Response (GAR):

The case is a 65-year-old, male, German citizen who returned on 8 February to Germany from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He developed symptoms on 10 February and was hospitalized in an intensive care unit one week later. The MERS-CoV infection was laboratory confirmed on two samples; the latest sample was taken on 5 March. Currently, the patient is in a severe but stable condition.

All necessary, recommended, preventive and control measures have been applied since 23 February at the hospital where the patient is being treated. Contact tracing of all possible contacts is ongoing for this case. So far, no additional cases have been identified.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported Monday that since April 2012 and as of 7 March 2015, 1 082 cases (including 439 deaths) of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have been reported by local health authorities worldwide.

Confirmed cases and deaths, by country of reporting, March 2012-7 March 2015/ECDC