Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Dashboard
WHO Health Emergencies Programme
The MERS-CoV Dashboard provides a centralized visualization of confirmed human cases reported through the International Health Regulations (IHR) and WHO Disease Outbreak News (DON). Its purpose is to enhance situational awareness, support risk assessment, and inform public health response by presenting summary statistics and epidemiological trends in a clear and accessible format.
MERS, Cases
Key facts
- Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
- 75% of new or emerging pathogens are of animal origin, including MERS-CoV which can be transmitted between dromedary camels and people; around 20% of all cases have reported contact with camels or their products.
- Person-to-person transmission can lead to outbreaks in hospitals and households.
- Hospitals and healthcare settings can act as amplifiers if infection prevention and control measures are not adequately implemented.
- 36% of MERS cases reported to WHO have died, but this may be an overestimation of the true case fatality rate as surveillance systems may miss mild or asymptomatic MERS cases.
- There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine licensed for MERS.
- Over 2,600 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with MERS-CoV have been reported to WHO; the majority (over 90%) were reported from the Arabian Peninsula.
- Most reported cases are men (around 69%) and the average age is 52.4 years; 37% of cases belong to the age group 60 years and older.
MERS Cases, Overview
Number of MERS cases reported to WHO (cumulative total)
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Note: Countries not included in the list have not reported data or have no information available.
Number of MERS cases reported to WHO (cumulative total)
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Number of MERS cases reported to WHO (cumulative total)
Cumulative number of reported cases in EMRO since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Note: WHO Eastern Mediterranean region countries not included in the list have not reported data or have no information available.
Number of MERS cases reported to WHO (cumulative total)
Cumulative number of reported cases in EMRO since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)MERS Cases, Global Trends
Number of MERS cases reported to WHO
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Number of MERS cases reported to WHO
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since January 2020 (as of the most recent data update)Number of MERS cases reported to WHO
Cumulative number of reported cases globally in last 90 daysMERS Cases Globally, Aggregated groups
Number of MERS cases reported to WHO (cumulative total)
WHO RegionsNote: This graph provides a regional breakdown of cases reported since March 2012. Where there is no regional data, countries have not reported or do not have information available.
Number of MERS cases reported to WHO (cumulative total)
World Bank Income GroupsNote: This graph provides a world bank income group breakdown of cases reported since March 2012. Where there is no groupiung data, countries have not reported or do not have information available.
MERS Cases, In Numbers
Age and sex
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Age
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Sex
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Occupation
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Likely place of exposure, as determined by epidemiological investigation
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Exposed to camels and/or their products
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Symptomatic vs. Asymptomatic
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Admission to Hospital/Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Confirmed case, by category
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Underlying disease
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Commonly reported comorbidities
Cumulative number of reported cases globally since 2012 (as of the most recent data update)Note: The comorbidities listed are those most reported for MERS cases and may not represent the complete range of underlying health conditions. Cases may have one or more comorbidities.
Metadata
Glossary
| Case | Confirmed human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) |
|---|---|
| Age | The age of the case at the time of data collection |
| Sex | The sex of the case (e.g., male, female, or other) |
| Occupation | The job of the case; here grouped into healthcare, camel-related or other |
| Date | Date of symptom onset of the case; if not available, date of reporting is used instead |
| Contact with Camels and/or their products | Indicates if the case had direct contact with camels or camel products within 14 days prior to symptom onset |
| Reporting country | A country reporting one or more cases |
| Place of Residence | The geographic location where the case resides |
| WHO region | Indicates WHO region of the reporting country |
| Confirmed case, by category | The classification of the case based on the chain of transmission (i.e., primary, secondary or tertiary) |
| Likely place of exposure | Indicates the context in which the case acquired the infection (i.e., healthcare-associated infection, community or workplace transmission) |
| Symptoms | The clinical signs and symptoms reported by the case or health worker assessing them |
| Outcome | Whether the case is recovered or deceased from MERS |
| Comorbidities | Pre-existing health conditions of the case |
| Underline disease | A case has one or more comorbidities |
| Admission to hospital | Indicates if the case was hospitalized |
| Admission to ICU | Indicates if the case was admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) |
| Last 90 Days | Refers to the thirteen most recent complete epidemiological weeks, covering a full 90-day period based on epidemiological weeks from Monday to Sunday |
| WHO Regions | The World Health Organization (WHO) is divided into six regions with regional offices, each responsible for addressing health challenges and promoting public health within its designated geographical area. These regions serve as administrative units that allow the WHO to tailor its efforts to the specific needs, priorities, and health conditions of member countries within each region |
| World Bank Income Groups | The World Bank classifies economies into income groups based on their Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. These annually updated classifications help the World Bank and other organizations analyze and understand global economic trends, allocate resources, and design development policies |
Copyright and licensing
| Copyright | Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) |
|---|---|
| License | The World Health Organization (“WHO”) encourages public access and use of the data that it collects and publishes on its web site data.who.int. The data are organized in datasets and made available in machine-readable format (“Datasets”). The Datasets have been compiled from data provided by WHO’s Member States under the WHO policy on the use and sharing of data collected by WHO in Member States outside the context of public health emergencies. Use of the data derived from the Datasets, which may appear in formats such as tables and charts, is also subject to these Terms and Conditions. Datasets may include data describing the Dataset called “Metadata”. If any datasets are credited to a source other than WHO, then those materials are not covered by these Terms and Conditions, and permission should be sought from the source provided. You are responsible for determining if this is the case, and if so, you are responsible for obtaining any necessary permission from the sources indicated. The risk of claims resulting from infringement of any third-party-owned component in the materials rests solely with you. You may use our application programming interfaces (“APIs”) to facilitate access to the Datasets, whether through a separate web site or through another type of software application. By using the Datasets or any presentations of data derived from them, or by using our APIs in connection with the Datasets, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, as may be amended from time to time by WHO at its sole discretion. Unless specifically indicated otherwise, these Datasets are provided to you under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), with the additional terms below. The basic terms applicable to the CC BY 4.0 license may be accessed here. By downloading or using the Datasets, you agree to comply with the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license, as well as the following mandatory and binding addition: Any dispute relating to the interpretation or application of this license shall, unless amicably settled, be subject to conciliation. In the event of failure of the latter, the dispute shall be settled by arbitration. The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the modalities to be agreed upon by the parties or, in the absence of agreement, with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. The parties shall accept the arbitral award as final. |
| Permission type | Publicly accessible |
| Prohibited uses | You shall not attempt to de-anonymise the Datasets or use the Datasets in a manner that falsifies or misrepresents their content. You shall not, in connection with your use of the Datasets published on data.who.int, state or imply that WHO endorses, or is affiliated with, you, or that WHO endorses your use of data.who.int, or any content, output, or analysis resulting from or related to the data.who.int, or any entity, organization, company, product or services. |
| Citation | World Health Organization 2023 data.who.int, WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard > More resources [Dashboard]. https://data.who.int/dashboards/covid19/more-resources |
| Disclaimer | WHO reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Datasets, or any means of accessing or utilizing the Datasets with or without prior notice to you. Maps All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by initial capital letters. All reasonable precautions have been taken by WHO to verify the accuracy of the Datasets. However, the Datasets are being provided without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. You will be solely responsible for your use of the Datasets. In no event shall WHO be liable for any damages arising from such use. For full disclaimers, terms of use and your indemnification of WHO, please visit Terms and Conditions. |