French health authorities have confirmed and isolated two individuals infected with the virus responsible for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The patients were part of a tour group that recently visited the Arabian Peninsula.
According to the French Ministry of Health, both individuals are currently in stable condition and receiving care in a specialized medical facility. The ministry said that comprehensive control measures have been activated to prevent any potential spread of the virus. So far, no secondary infections have been detected, but other members of the tour group are under close monitoring.
The ministry outlined the measures taken, which include contact tracing, strict hygiene protocols, screening procedures, isolation guidelines, and instructions on what to do should any symptoms — even mild ones — appear.
MERS is a more severe but less easily transmitted cousin of SARS, which emerged in the early 2000s. The virus is believed to have originated in bats, with camels serving as the main source of human infection. Since 2012, the disease has caused 958 deaths from 2,640 reported cases, most of them in Saudi Arabia, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Symptoms of MERS resemble those of Covid-19, including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Human-to-human transmission is considered uncommon, though it can occur through respiratory droplets, indirect contact, or in rare cases, through airborne particles.
France last recorded MERS cases in 2013, making this the first confirmed incident in over a decade.
