MERS Virus Spreads to Egypt

An Egyptian citizen, who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia, became the country’s first case of the potentially deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) this week. The virus spread from the Gulf of Europe and has caused over 90 deaths so far. Coughing, fever and pneumonia are symptoms of the virus, which has a more than 40 percent death rate. Saudi Arabia has been hit hardest by the illness, with a total number of 313 cases, as of Friday. The Egyptian patient, who is 27 years old, is being treated at a Cairo hospital and is listed in stable condition.