The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which has the potential to be lethal, has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Abu Dhabi as of Monday night.

A 28-year-old male who was brought to a hospital in Al Ain city in June tested positive for the virus, according to the UN organisation.

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What is MERC?

It is common to catch the virus from animals like camels. There were no indications that the individual had come into contact with dromedary camels, though.

Health officials have examined 108 persons who were in contact with the man, but no secondary infections have been discovered as of yet, according to news agencies Reuters and WHO.

Additionally, there were no indications that the man had come into contact with the disease-carrying dromedary camels. Fever, coughing, and shortness of breath are some of the signs of the infection. The illness frequently causes pneumonia.

In 2012, Saudi Arabia reported the discovery of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
MERS cases have been reported in 27 nations since it was discovered, including Algeria, Austria, Bahrain, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.

As many as 2,605 instances of the virus have been reported overall, and 936 deaths have been linked to them, according to the WHO.
A zootonic virus called MERS can spread from animals to humans. According to WHO data, unprotected contact with infectious dromedary camels is how most people in Saudi Arabia became ill.

Fever, coughing, and shortness of breath are some of the signs of the virus, which in certain cases can cause pneumonia.