Just in the last week there has been 40 new cases. The month of February has seen 52 new cases. The disease was first seen in September 2012. So far, there has been a total of 1,000 cases and about 37 percent have died from it.
While MERS cases do normally start appearing at this time of year, this is the first time this many cases has been seen this early in the season. Because the disease is so new, however, there are a limited number of comparisons.
Agencies dealing with human and animal health agencies in the United Nations are on a three-day mission to try and determine the cause. It is believed to be largely caused by contact with camels.
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Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/middle-east-mystery-disease-triggers-early-resurgence/
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Graphics: Mine
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Keywords: MERS, Saudi Arabia, new cases, WHO, rise