Disease

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – Saudi Arabia

Between 12 and 27 November 2016 the National IHR Focal Point of Saudi Arabia reported nine (9) additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) including one fatal case.

Klebsiella outbreak at South African hospital

Nine cases of Klebsiella were reported at Stanger Hospital at KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province in South Africa, resulting in the death of three newborns, according to health officials via a IOL report.

KZN Health spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi said, “The department is investigating whether the demise of three neonates out of the nine Klebsiella cases is directly linked to the bacterium as these were high-risk neonates.”

If the deaths are directly linked to the bacterium, it would be one of the deadliest outbreaks of Klebsiella since 2005, when 22 babies died at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Durban, the report notes.