Disease

MERS Update

The deadly MERS respiratory virus that has killed at least 65 people, mainly in the Middle East, often goes undetected among those infected, according to a new study. European re- searchers estimate that for each of the roughly 155 confirmed cases of the respiratory disease, five to 10 may have been infected and gone unidentified. World Health Organisation MERS expert Anthony Mounts says his agency has been told Saudi health officials are focusing their testing on people with MERS-like symptoms who are gravely ill. This possibly leads to many other sufferers remaining un- der the radar. The scientists say they still aren’t able to rule out that person- to-person infection is spreading the disease in addition to contact with infected animals. Camels around Saudi Arabia have been found to be infected with the flulike virus.