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(Image source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
BY MATT MORENO
The MERS coronavirus, dubbed a "threat to the entire world" by the World Health Organization
this week, has killed three more people.
"The three latest victims of the SARS-like respiratory virus died in a hospital in Saudi
Arabia's capital. Health administrators say they ranged in age from 24 to 60." (Via CBS)
"This is of grave concern to us here at WHO because there are so many unknowns around
a virus which has, so far, killed 55 percent of the known cases." (Via CNN)
All of the three recent patients had chronic diseases and were admitted into the hospital
months ago.
The three deaths bring the most recent global death toll from the Middle Eastern Respiratory
Syndrome, or MERS, to at least 30. A number of others have become sick with the virus.
(Via CNN)
There are no reported cases of the virus infecting anyone in the United States yet, but the virus,
which is believed to have originated in Saudi Arabia, has been reported in France, Germany
and the United Kingdom. (Via BBC)
The symptoms of the disease are flu-like, beginning with a cough and chills, but then
becoming increasingly worse. Scientists believe it can also be transmitted by human-to-human
interaction. (Via Time)
The disease is believed to be part of the SARS family, which spawned another worldwide
outbreak in 2003.
"One case of SARS in a Hong Kong hotel in 2003 infected 12 other hotel guests who flew
out of Hong Kong. Within nine months, there were more than 8,000 cases of SARS all over
the world." (Via ABC)
Like SARS, the new disease is believed to have originated from bats. It's believed to
be more difficult to transmit than SARS.