MERS virus update: Saudi Arabia mulls banning camel imports from Africa

Jiddah (KON) - Saudi Arabia authorities believe that the MERS virus came from African camels and may prohibit camel imports until further investigation.

News Keydmedia Online
1 July 2014

MERS was initially discovered in humans in 2012 as one caused by a coronavirus from a similar viral family which caused the fatal SARS outbreak in China in 2003. Over 700 Saudi Arabia residents contracted the virus and 292 were killed, based on the figures from Saudi Health Ministry.

"We do have suspicions that the disease may have been imported through camel trade from the Horn of Africa, but we haven