Another reported MERS infection in Saudi Arabia
Yesterday, Saudi Arabia reported a new case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) infection, a 72-year-old male from Riyadh. ( link ) This is the first MERS infection reported from Saudi Arabia since July 10 ( link ) and the first MERS cases reported for Riyadh since July 7. ( link ) Because the incubation period of MERS is reported to be between 5 and 14 days, and assuming the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health is reporting all MERS infections in the country, this newly reported case does not seem to be a result of human-to-human transmission but rather an independent infection most likely from a non-human animal source. It is unlikely, but possible, that this individual contracted the coronavirus from an asymptomatic human carrier. There is no reason to believe that this case resulted from a deliberate release of the coronavirus. See The discrepant epidemiology of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) for a hypothesis that MERS infections are a result of a bi...