Dr/Tariq Almadani: Saudi Arabia is facing Corona virus and are still searching for the source of the virus

Saudi Arabia has not yet monitored the source of the mysterious camels virus, raising many questions about the disease, which led to the deaths of 346 people in the kingdom.

The lack of scientific evidence about this virus transmission which often causes fatal disease in humans called Middle East respiratory syndrome (Corona) leads to broad concerns about the threat posed to humans' health by animal-borne diseases, including Ebola virus. 

There is no cure or vaccine for the Middle East respiratory syndrome, which is a serious disease that affects the respiratory system and cause coughing, fever and breathing problems may lead to pneumonia and kidney failure.

Scientists said that the studies they oversee so far carried out on the camels and people with Middle East respiratory syndrome in Saudi Arabia concluded preliminary results which helped the authorities to stop the spread of the disease.


Tariq Almadani adviser of the Minister of Health and Chairman of the Advisory Medical Council and chairman of the control of infectious diseases, which was established in June to deal with the outbreak of the disease, Said that touching the camel nose secretions represents a significant risk factor.

He said  during an interview over the phone - the main infection actually occurs between humans. 

"Almadani", who was appointed after the exemption of Saudi health minister and his deputy from their posts amid anger about their dealings with the virus outbreak - added The analysis of a large spread of infection occurred in Jeddah in 2014 pointed out that most of the injuries were in hospitals.

He said that 97 percent of infected cases related to health care centers and that only three percent of them get infection through contact with camels.

He pointed out that camels that have been examined so far proved to be free of the virus, although this was not expected at all.

Studies on 12 camels were on contact with infected people with the Middle East respiratory syndrome, have shown presence of the virus in their noses but tests on milk and urine was free of it, suggesting that the risk of transmission of the virus to humans by drinking camel milk is a lot less than direct contact with their nasal secretions.

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