The first case of the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has been reported in Iran, Tuesday morning, 26 May 2014. Iranian officials suspect that there are 4 MERS cases in the Kerman province; however, only two have been positively identified.
Two sisters, believed to have been the first MERS-diagnosed patients in Iran, are currently under treatment, the Iranian Health Ministry confirms. One is currently in critical condition; the other sister's status is unknown but is believed to be stable.
Commonly abbreviated as MERS, the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome was first reported in neighboring country Saudi Arabia two years ago. The symptoms of the deadly virus includes excessive fever, coughing and fatal pneumonia. Around 30% of those infected by the virus have not survived.
Around 175 Saudi Arabians have died due to MERS. Since its discovery, no treatment or vaccine has been discovered making MERS one of the worst systemic viral diseases to date. Aside from Iran, cases of MERS have also been reported in Lebanon, Greece, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the United States.
