Saudi Arabia on Sunday denied the presence of any new indicators of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus spread, confirming that the World Health Organization's (WHO) report on the MERS virus does not raise concerns. Dr. Abdullah Asiri, Assistant Minister of Health for Public Health in Saudi Arabia, stated that recent reports circulating about the WHO's report on MERS involve some confusion and misunderstanding. He explained that the issued report is a routine periodic report that does not carry any exceptional indicators or warnings of a new outbreak. Dr. Asiri, via his official account on the X platform, reported that MERS virus infections have seen a sharp decline since the COVID-19 pandemic and remain at very low levels, reassuring that the health situation is stable, thank God, and does not warrant concern. He added that the virus has not undergone any new genetic changes and remains endemic in camels, with the possibility of limited transmission to individuals in contact with them when preventive measures are not followed, noting that this pattern has been known and monitored for years. Dr. Asiri stressed that there are no scientific or epidemiological indications of a new outbreak or a general health risk, pointing out that the periodic reports issued by the WHO aim for continuous follow-up and monitoring, and do not necessarily mean a health emergency. In this context, the Ministry of Health confirmed the continuation of the epidemiological surveillance and health investigation system according to the highest standards, calling for obtaining information from official sources and not being swayed by inaccurate interpretations of international reports.
