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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has infected at least 1370 individuals (including asymptomatic cases) in Saudi Arabia since 2012 ( e.g. ProMED link ). Since mid-February 2016, Buraidah in Al Qassim region in Saudia Arabia has been experiencing a local MERS outbreak with 23 cases reported through March 16, 2016 ( link ). As of April 3, 2016 there have been an additional 11 cases reported, bringing the total cases reported from Buraidah by Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health to 34.   Many of these cases are a result of nosocomial infection, but perhaps as many as eight of these cases were community acquired infections with some individuals having contact with animals. Among these 34 cases, 17 have been reported as deaths so far. (see note) While the Buraidah MERS outbreak has raised concerns, the 34 cases from Buraidah represented about 40% of all MERS cases reported from Saudi Arabia since January 1, 2016. The majority of MERS cases since January 1, 2016, about 49 cases, have b...

Since late February, a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak has been occurring in northcentral Saudi Arabia in Buraidah in the Al Qassim region. Through March 16, 2016, there have been 23 MERS cases reported from Buraidah by the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health (SAMOH), include 6 females and 17 males, ranging in age from 22 to 84 years. Six of the cases are healthcare workers. Based on reports by the SAMOH, 11 of these individuals have died. Only five individuals have been reported to have recovered. Constructing a preliminary timeline of Buraidah outbreak Details are only available from the World Health Organization (WHO) for 18 of these cases prior to March 10, 2016. ( link , link ) At least five of the cases reported by WHO appear to be community-acquired infections which suggest that MERS may be wide-spread in the Buraidah community. These individuals include a 40 year-old male (WHO 1670) who experienced symptoms on February 22 and was hospitalized the same day. It is n...

Since 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been notified of 1626 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Virus Syndrome (MERS) as of January 7, 2016 ( link ). These cases have been reported from 26 countries as shown on the map and table below. Cases have been reported from most continents: North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. No cases have been yet been reported from South America, Australia, or the sparsely inhabited Antarctica. More than 75% of these cases have been reported from Saudi Arabia.  Countries Reporting MERS infections to WHO   Worldwide count of MERS cases   The earliest cases of MERS in 2012 were geographically associated with countries in the Middle East. Numerous cases in Saudi Arabia are reported as “primary cases”, autochthonous cases, which have been infected from local animal hosts. Current research indicates that camel populations on the Arabian Peninsula are a reservoir for this coronavirus, although there may be ot...

Influenza A(H5N6) is an emerging novel avian influenza that apparently derived from a reassortment of A(H5N1) with A(H6N6). H5N6 was first reported in domestic poultry in early 2014 from Laos, Vietnam, and China. Since then it has continued to be widely reported from domestic flocks in these countries (primarily China). In April 2014, the first case of a human infected with the H5N6 influenza virus was reported from Sichuan Province in China. Since then, seven additional human cases have been reported, all from China. The most recent case was reported from Jieyang, Guangdong Province a few days ago. Of these eight cases, six have been reported by the World Health Organization (see links below). Based on onset dates two of these cases occurred in 2014, four in 2015. Onset dates for the two most recent cases have not yet been reported. Among these cases are five males and three females. One of the females was pregnant. Her child was delivered by caesarian section and the woman is appare...