Key facts
- Since the previous update on 10 December 2025, and as of 5 January 2026, five new MERS cases (including one fatality) have been reported in Saudi Arabia.
- Since the beginning of 2025, and as of 5 January 2026, 19 MERS cases (including four fatalities) have been reported with date of onset in 2025. Among these, 17 cases (including four fatalities) have been reported in Saudi Arabia, and two imported cases have been reported in France.
- The probability of sustained human-to-human transmission among the general population in Europe remains very low, and the impact of the disease in the general population is also considered to be low. The current MERS-CoV situation poses a low risk to the EU/EEA.
Overview
Update: Since the previous update on 10 December 2025, and as of 5 January 2026, five new MERS cases (including one fatality) have been reported in Saudi Arabia with date of onset between September and December 2025. The patients reside in Makkah (2), Riyad (2) and Najran (1) regions in Saudi Arabia. All patients are adults, three of which over 65 years of age. Two patients had direct contact with camels and there was no known contact with camels or camel products reported by the other cases. No secondary cases have been detected so far.
Summary: Since the beginning of 2025, and as of 5 January 2026, 19 MERS cases (including four fatalities) have been reported with date of onset in 2025. Among these, 17 cases (including four fatalities) have been reported in Saudi Arabia, and two imported cases have been reported in France.
Since April 2012, and as of 5 January 2025, a total of 2 647 cases of MERS-CoV, including 959 deaths, have been reported by health authorities worldwide.
Sources: ECDC MERS-CoV page | WHO MERS-CoV | ECDC factsheet for professionals | Qatar MoPH Case #1 | Qatar MoPH Case #2 | FAO MERS-CoV situation update | WHO DON Oman | WHO DON Saudi Arabia | WHO DON UAE | WHO DON Saudi Arabia 1 | WHO IHR | WHO EMRO MERS Situation report | WHO DON Saudi Arabia 2 | WHO DON Saudi Arabia 3 | WHO DON Saudi Arabia 4 | WHO DON Saudi Arabia 5 | MERS-CoV Dashboard | French Ministry of Health | WHO DON France & Saudi Arabia
ECDC assessment
Human cases of MERS continue to be reported in the Arabian Peninsula. However, the number of new cases detected and reported through surveillance has dropped to the lowest level since 2014. The probability of sustained human-to-human transmission among the general population in Europe remains very low and the impact of the disease in the general population is considered low. The current MERS-CoV situation poses a low risk to the EU/EEA, as stated in the Rapid Risk Assessment published by ECDC on 29 August 2018.
ECDC published a technical report, 'Health emergency preparedness for imported cases of high-consequence infectious diseases', in October 2019 that is still useful for EU Member States wishing to assess their level of preparedness for a disease such as MERS. ECDC also published 'Risk assessment guidelines for infectious diseases transmitted on aircraft (RAGIDA) – Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)' on 22 January 2020.
