Riyadh, Jan 23 (IANS) The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has claimed two more lives, bringing the toll in the country to 363 since the virus was detected in 2012, the Saudi Arabia health ministry announced.
The deceased were a 67-year-old in Taif of Mecca province and a 76-year-old in Riyadh. Three other Saudi men were infected with the disease, all from Riyadh, the Arab News reported Thursday.
The ministry has recorded 839 cases since September 2012, with 471 people having recovered completely.
Ministry spokesman Khalid Al-Mirghalani said it has been taking action to contain the disease and for that it was currently working with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The ministry confirmed that the virus is transmitted from camels to humans, and has issued several advisories warning people to stay away from the animals or wear protective masks, gloves and clothing if they have to make contact.
Recently, the ministry hired a team of experts from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help combat the spread of infectious diseases in the country, including MERS and Ebola.