2 more cases of MERS-CoV confirmed in Italy

The Italian Ministry of Health has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the WHO said Sunday. WHO said in its latest disease outbreak update that both the patients had close contacts with the first confirmed case in the country, one is a two-year-old girl and the second is a 42-year-old woman. They are in stable condition. Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of 53 confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 30 deaths, it said. WHO said Saturday that a 45-year-old Italian resident with recent travel from Jordan has been confirmed with infection of the MER-CoV. The man returned to Italy on May 25 with symptoms of cough and fatigue and was hospitalized on May 28 as his condition deteriorated. He is currently in stable condition, according to the WHO.