RIYADH (AA) - Three new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been detected in Saudi Arabia, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 124 in the country and 149 worldwide, Saudi Health Ministry said.
The statement issued Saturday said 60 people have died of MERS so far. Fifty-one of them were Saudis.
MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a strain of the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), was detected in September last year.
It attacks the respiratory system and acts like a cold, with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to US national health institute Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The illness spreads between people who are in close contact. No preventive vaccines or antibiotics have so far been developed for MERS-CoV.
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