MERS Detected In France

The Ministry of Health, Families, Autonomy and Persons with Disabilities, and Public Health France have been informed of two cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in France.

According to a press release dated December 4, 2025, these two cases were confirmed based on suggestive symptoms and a history of shared travel to the Arabian Peninsula. Management measures have been implemented to limit the risk of virus transmission.

These two cases occurred in individuals who had participated in the same trip, but no secondary transmission chains have been identified within the country at this stage. The other individuals who participated in the trip have also been monitored since the identification of the first confirmed case.

In France, only two cases were recorded as of 2013.

MERS-CoV is a virus that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and is primarily transmitted from animals to humans. Since then, more than 2,600 cases of MERS-CoV have been reported worldwide.

The virus is endemic to dromedary camels and bats in the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Africa. 

France says: if you experience these symptoms and have recently traveled to these areas and/or been in contact with people who have experienced them, do not hesitate to consult your doctor.