Strange virus in the Middle East is about to cause a new SARS pandemic?

Health experts warn that a mysterious coronavirus, appearing in the Middle East last year, may have begun to spread from person to person, threatening to create a SARS pandemic (severe acute respiratory syndrome ) new.

>>>SARS-like virus attacks Saudi Arabia

The health authorities in Saudi Arabia this week have revealed, a series of strange cases of viruses, now known as MERS , in the eastern part of the country are linked to a single hospital. The similarity in the new outbreak of SARS a decade ago is worrying health professionals around the world.

Photo: tt5.com

Speaking on ProMed - the emerging disease forum, Saudi Minister of Health, Ziad Memish, said that only in the second half of April 13 citizens of the country were infected with MERS. The average age of these patients is 50 years old and they also have other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and diabetes. All of them visited Al-Moosa Hospital in Hofuf town just before the symptoms of high fever and shortness of breath.

Mr. Memish also informed a press conference in Riyadh this week that the MERS virus has three new mutations compared to the original viral gene sequence. The official stressed: "Until now there is no clear transmission in the community. The spread of MERS virus seems to involve only one medical facility."

New cases indicate that MERS may be undergoing human-to-human spread within a limited range. Cases of previous infections are often scattered throughout Saudi Arabia and morphologically often spread from animals to humans.

Whatever the way it spreads, MERS infection is still concentrated on the Arabian Peninsula. Twenty-four of the 30 cases that are present until now are all living or visiting Saudi Arabia.