New episode of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia: an emerging public health threat

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has originated as a serious public health issue in the past few years. Since its first report from Saudi Arabia in 2012, the infection has been successfully transmitted to various countries. Recently, Saudi Arabia is confronted with a new outbreak of the infection reporting high morbidity and mortality toll. Due to its endemic status, Saudi Arabia poses a marked risk for infection dissemination to other regions. Global travel and trade are key facilitator factors contributing to the spread of infection. Lack of adequate medication and prophylaxis against the infection, emphasize effective precautionary measures. Overall, improved vigilance and surveillance is the need of time to curb the spread of the infection further. In addition, it is imperative to gear up the research on infection pathogenesis in quest of an efficient remedy against this previously neglected emerging infection.