MERS claims 57 lives so far in Saudi Arabia

Of the 141 laboratory confirmed infections of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus in Saudi Arabia, 57 cases have died, Saudi health authorities said on Wednesday. Assistant Health Ministry Undersecretary for Preventive Health, Abdullah Aseri, stated that the ministry is dealing with laboratory confirmed cases with the recognised medical procedures to prevent communication and spread of the disease among healthcare professionals. WHO says coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that includes viruses that may cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to SARS. Viruses of this family also cause a number of animal diseases.