Germany reports first death from Mers virus
[BERLIN] A 65-year-old German man who was infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) virus earlier this year has died in hospital, the health ministry of the German state of Lower Saxony said on Tuesday.
The man died in the town of Ostercappeln, north-west Germany on June 6 from complications stemming from the virus, the ministry said in a statement.
It is the first German death from the Mers virus, which emerged in the Middle East in 2012 and is from the same family as the Sars virus. It can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia.
The man is believed to have been infected with the virus while visiting an animal market on the Arabian Peninsula in February, the ministry said.
It said there were no indications he had infected others, having tested 200 people and found them all negative for the virus.
The virus has infected over 150 people in South Korea and killed 19 of them since it was first diagnosed on May 20 in a businessman who had returned from a trip to the Middle East.
REUTERS
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
International
Eurozone economy rebounds in first quarter, inflation stable in April
The Fed’s quantitative easing programme has cost too much
German economy skirts recession, helped by construction and exports
Taiwan economy grows at fastest pace since 2021 on chip boom
German unemployment rises more than expected, labour office says
China’s top leaders hint at property support, interest rate cuts