(AGENPARL) – Tue 13 May 2025 No images? Click here https://hq_who_departmentofcommunications.cmail20.com/t/d-e-shjuthk-iitylyihjr-k/
Tuesday, 13 May 2025
DISEASE OUTBREAK NEWS
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Chikungunya – La Réunion and Mayotte
Two Disease Outbreak News (DON) were published on 12 May:
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON569]
Situation at a glance
Between 1 March and 21 April 2025, the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) reported nine cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. Two of these cases died.
Among the nine cases, a cluster of seven cases were identified in Riyadh, including six health and care workers who acquired the infection from caring for a single infected patient. The cluster was identified through contact tracing and subsequent testing of all contacts, with four of the six health and care workers being asymptomatic and two showing only mild, nonspecific signs.
The notification of these cases does not change the overall risk assessment, which remains moderate at both the global and regional levels.
These cases show that the virus continues to pose a threat in countries where it is circulating in dromedary camels and spilling over into the human population. WHO recommends implementation of targeted infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to prevent the spread of health-care-associated infections of MERS-CoV and onward human transmission.
The full text of the DON, including public risk assessment, WHO response and WHO advice can be accessed here: [https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON569]
Chikungunya – La Réunion and Mayotte [https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON567]
Situation at a glance
Since August 2024, widespread transmission of chikungunya virus disease has been documented in La Réunion as well as increasing locally transmitted cases in Mayotte. Although chikungunya outbreaks and endemic transmission occur annually in several countries and territories around the world, the Indian Ocean islands have not experienced major outbreaks for nearly two decades.
In La Réunion, over 47 500 cases and twelve associated deaths have been reported as of 4 May 2025, with sustained high transmission across the island. In Mayotte, the first locally transmitted cases since 2005–2006 have been detected, raising concern about similar large outbreaks.
Public health response measures, including enhanced surveillance, vector control activities, and novel targeted vaccination efforts, have been implemented to contain the outbreaks, however further outbreak activity in the islands of the Indian Ocean can be expected.
The full text of the DON, including public risk assessment, WHO response and WHO advice can be accessed here: [https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2025-DON567]
Media contacts: