Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory illness. Since first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, there have been scores of cases around the world.
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Should we be worried?
Mers is a type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, which includes the common cold and Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome). The new virus is not Sars.
Saudi Arabia says more than 100 people infected with Mers have died since an outbreak began in 2012.
Cases have also been confirmed in Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, the UK and, most recently, the US.
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How dangerous is it?
hand washing
Experts believe the virus is not very contagious. If it were, we would have seen more cases. But around a third of those infected have died.
Coronaviruses are fairly fragile. Outside of the body they can only survive for a day and are easily destroyed by usual detergents and cleaning agents.
Public health experts in the UK have stressed that the risk to general population remains very low.
The greatest global concern, however, is about the potential for this new virus to spread far and wide. So far, person-to-person transmission has remained limited to some small clusters. There is no evidence yet that the virus has the capacity to become pandemic.
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How is it spread?
camel
Camels may spread the infection
Mers has been shown to spread between people who are in close contact, most probably through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Transmission from infected patients to healthcare personnel has also been observed.
Although camels are suspected to be the primary source of infection for humans, the exact routes of direct or indirect exposure remain unknown.
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Can it be treated?
mers virus
Doctors do not yet know what the best treatment is, but people with severe symptoms will need intensive medical care to help them breath. There is no vaccine to prevent it.
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