France confirmed its first cases of MERS in over a decade, with 19 cases globally in 2025, highlighting ongoing risks of this deadly virus, which is primarily transmitted from camels and has a high fatality rate. The WHO emphasizes the need for strengthened surveillance and infection control to prevent further spread, especially as the virus re-emerges in Europe amid ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts.
Scientists warn that a new coronavirus, HKU5-CoV-2, discovered in China, is just one mutation away from potentially causing a new pandemic, as it is closely related to the deadly MERS virus and could mutate to infect humans, especially given the risks posed by wildlife trade.
A 28-year-old man in Al Ain city, Abu Dhabi, has tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), with the source of the infection unknown. The patient, who is not a healthcare worker or a UAE citizen, was admitted to the hospital on June 8 and diagnosed with MERS on June 23. Contact tracing has been conducted, but all results were negative. MERS is a respiratory disease primarily transmitted by camels, but it can also spread from person to person. The virus was first identified in 2012 and has had three notable outbreaks, with a high fatality rate of 34%.
A 28-year-old man in Abu Dhabi has been hospitalized with Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), a deadlier cousin of Covid-19. Officials in the UAE are working to contain the virus, which is usually spread through contact with camels. The infected man had no known contact with camels or other animals that carry the disease, raising concerns about human-to-human transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that more cases are likely and urged member states to monitor the situation closely. MERS has a high mortality rate and there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
A new study from China has identified the mechanism by which SARS and MERS could combine, by entering human cells via colocated receptors. If a single person ever catches SARS and MERS at the same time through neighboring receptors and the two viruses combine, we could have a whole new pandemic on our hands, one that could be far worse than the current COVID-19 pandemic. This recombination risk is one driver of a global effort to develop new vaccines that could prevent, or reduce the severity of, infection by a variety of SARS viruses, MERS and any hybrid of them.
A new study from China has identified the mechanism by which SARS and MERS could combine, by entering human cells via colocated receptors. If a single person ever catches SARS and MERS at the same time through neighboring receptors and the two viruses combine, we could have a whole new pandemic on our hands—one that could be far worse than the current COVID-19 pandemic. This recombination risk is one driver of a global effort to develop new vaccines that could prevent, or reduce the severity of, infection by a variety of SARS viruses, MERS, and any hybrid of them.
