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. 2020 Jul;26(7):1571-1574.
doi: 10.3201/eid2607.200437.

Surveillance and Testing for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, March 2016-March 2019

Abdullah Alzahrani, Stephanie A Kujawski, Glen R Abedi, Safaa Tunkar, Holly M Biggs, Nada Alghawi, Hani Jokhdar, Abdullah M Assiri, John T Watson

Surveillance and Testing for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, March 2016-March 2019

Abdullah Alzahrani et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

During March 2016-March 2019, a total of 200,936 suspected cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection were identified in Saudi Arabia; infections were confirmed in 698 cases (0.3% [0.7/100,000 population per year]). Continued surveillance is necessary for early case detection and timely infection control response.

Keywords: MERS-CoV; Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus; Saudi Arabia; coronavirus; respiratory infections; surveillance; testing; viruses; zoonoses.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Number of suspected cases and percentage of confirmed positive cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome, Health Electronic Surveillance Network, Saudi Arabia, March 1, 2016–March 20, 2019. HAD, Health Affairs Directorate.
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