SARS-Like Virus Claims 15th Victim in Saudi Arabia : WHO
GENEVA: A SARS-like virus that has struck in Britain and the Middle East has claimed a new victim in Saudi Arabia, bringing the global death toll from the mystery illness to nine, the World Health Organization says.
The United Nations agency said the Saudi health ministry informed it that a 39-year-old man, who developed symptoms on February 24 and was hospitalized four days later, died on March 2.
"Preliminary investigation indicated that the patient had no contact with previously reported cases," the WHO said in a statement. "Other potential exposures are under investigation."
Novel coronavirus - known in health jargon as nCoV - was first detected in the middle of last year.
Including the latest victim, a total of 15 cases have now been reported.
The nine fatalities have been clustered in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Britain. In Britain, it affected a family, one of the members of which had visited the Middle East and Pakistan.
On Tuesday the WHO reiterated calls on its member states to remain vigilant for cases of severe acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
Coronaviruses cause most common colds and pneumonia, but are also to blame for unusual conditions such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known by its acronym SARS.
A SARS epidemic killed more than 800 people when it swept out of China in 2003, sparking a major international health scare.
The new virus however is different from SARS, especially in that it causes rapid kidney failure. (AFP)
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