Saudi Arabia Reports Eleven MERS Cases, Two Fatalities

The World Health Organisation Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMRO) recently reported one new case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS) in Saudi Arabia. Since the beginning of 2025, there have been a total of 11 reported MERS cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including two fatalities.

Since 2012, as of August 8, 2025, a total of 2,639 cases of MERS, including 957 deaths, have been reported by health authorities worldwide.

According to the WHO-EMRO, the probability of sustained human-to-human transmission among the general population in Europe remains very low, and the impact of the disease on the general population is considered low.

This assumption is based on the fact that very few people are exposed to dromedary camels. Currently, the Saudi Arabian camel population is about 2 million.

Around 20% of all cases have reported contact with camels or their products.

The WHO states there have not been any reports of tourists riding camels becoming infected with MERS.

As of 2025, no approved MERS vaccine exists, but several vaccine candidates are being tested in human clinical trials. For example, the VTP-500 vaccine candidate has completed Phase I clinical trials in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.