SARS first jumped from animals to humans in 2002 and caused a worldwide outbreak, resulting in more than 8,000 cases and almost 800 deaths. The hybrid virus also replicated well in the lungs of mice that were susceptible to SARS. The virus also replicated as well as SARS-CoV in primary human airway cells in the lung, the preferred target for infection. They then determined in a lab dish that the hybrid virus the virus can latch on to the same human and bat receptor for entry, which shows it is able to jump from bats to people. University of North Carolina (UNC) researchers inserted the spike protein of a coronavirus found in horseshoe bats in China-called SHC014-into a SARS virus. SARS-like bat coronavirus able to jump to humans, researchers sayĪ coronavirus closely related to the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus appears able to infect human lung cells and jump from bats to people without mutation, according to a study yesterday in Nature Medicine. The most recent case, reported on Nov 3, was in Riyadh. In the past 7 days, the agency has reported that 4 people have recovered from the disease and 2 have died 4 patients are still receiving treatment. So far MERS-CoV has sickened 1,275 people in Saudi Arabia since 2012, 546 of whom have died, the MOH said in today's update. Involvement of Saudi universities in the research will also be sought, the story said.

KACST Director Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud said that, under the agreement, KACST will provide technical and financial support to conduct research on MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and spearhead the creation of a national database for the virus that will subsequently include all infectious diseases. The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and Saudi Arabia's ministries of health and agriculture have launched a joint program for comprehensive MERS-CoV research on the Middle East, Arab News reported today as the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported no MERS cases for the 7th straight day. Riyadh science center, Saudi ministries launch MERS research effort

News from november 11 2015