Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus, MERS-CoV. Conclusions from the 2nd Scientific Advisory Board Meeting of the WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Riyadh

The 2nd Scientific Advisory Board Meeting of the Global Center for Mass Gathering Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, met April 28 – 29 in Riyadh to discuss risk of infectious diseases and research and surveillance during Hajj. Due to the on-going outbreak of MERS-CoV and especially the recent increase in case detection in Jeddah, (138 MERS cases were reported from Jeddah between 11 to 26 April 2014), the agenda for the second day was focused on MERS-CoV, both in relation to the risk it presents for the forthcoming Umrah during Ramadan and the Hajj, but also in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general.