{{The source of a new virus that has killed 39 people in Saudi Arabia has been discovered as hundreds of local Muslims prepare to visit Mecca for Hajj.}}
While the Saudi government has not placed travel restrictions on those wishing to make the annual pilgrimage, it has advised people aged over 65, children under 12, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases to postpone their plans for Hajj this year because of fears of the new virus.
Kenya Airways has indicated it will be offering additional flights for the October – November Hajj period to meet an expected high demand. The airline will increase the number of flights to Jeddah from the current two per week to four.
Since the emergence of the so-called ‘coronavirus’ last year, which is causing the disease, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS, teams of medical detectives from all over the world have been combing the Middle East for it.
Of the 47 deaths so far caused by the disease, 39 have been in Saudi Arabia indicating this to be the possible ground zero. A total of 96 cases have been recorded so far in eight countries.
On Wednesday, researchers from Columbia University, US, said they have pinpointed the source of the virus as the insect-eating bat called Egyptian Tomb Bat, somewhere close to the first known case of the disease in Saudi Arabia.
{{Genetic match}}
Although there were earlier reports that the virus had been detected in domestic camels in Saudi Arabia, this according to the researchers is the first time the find has been a 100 per cent genetic match.
“There have been several reports of finding MERS-like viruses in animals. None were a genetic match. In this case, we have a virus in an animal that is identical in sequence to the virus found in the first human case.
Importantly, it’s coming from the vicinity of that first case,” Dr Ian Lipkin, one of the researchers said in a statement from the university.
Last month, a team set up by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to keep an eye on the MERS virus advised that the disease has not reached pandemic potential and hence there was no need for the world to panic or issue travel restrictions.
However, the global health body has advised its members to be on the lookout for the new virus and wants all doctors to be especially vigilant with patients with severe respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
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