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UAE reports 2 new MERS cases discovered in Abu Dhabi

Xinhua, June 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

A MERS patient died in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, while the other one was discovered to be infected, according to local WAM news agency.

The local health authority in Abu Dhabi, HAAD, said the deceased was a 65-year-old UAE national, while the other patient, whose nationality was not released, remains under observation.

HAAD said the newly-infected remains under observation and isolation in line with the international standards and recommendations from the World Health Organization.

MERS, or Middle East respiratory syndrome, was first discovered in 2012 when a Saudi patient died in London. The virus can trigger pneumonia and lethal infections of the human respiratory and bronchial system and kidneys.

The Health Ministry said its epidemic investigation centers across the UAE are working on a 24/7 basis "to receive any earlier reports of MERS-CoV.

The situation is closely monitored to ensure the health and safety of UAE residents as well as visitors to the Gulf state.

The latest MERS outburst is in South Korea, where the total infections have reached 165 as of Thursday since the first case in the country was discovered on May 20, causing a death toll of 23 based on a fatality rate of 13.9 percent. Endit