Traveling to the Middle East? Virus more dangerous than SARS has emerged. Pls be warned.

A deadly new virus that has emerged in the Middle East is thought to be more dangerous than SARS after it killed 38 people in a year.

More than 60 cases of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) have been reported in the last year by the World Health Organisation.

Many of those who have the disease, which can spread easily between people, were in Saudi Arabia.

There was a global outbreak of SARS in 2003, killing 800 people, and some experts note the resemblances between the two as both spread easily between hospitals.

Symptoms are also similar with a fever and cough that develops into pneumonia.

But, doctors note that the fatality rate is higher. Eight per cent of SARS patients died, while 65 per cent of MERS cases are believed to have been fatal.

However, the illness so far has not spread as quickly as SARS did.

Dr. Trish Perl a senior hospital epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine said that she thought it was a lot like SARS.

She added: ‘In the right circumstances, the spread could be explosive.’

Doctors have not been able to pinpoint exactly how the illness is spread in every case, as some appeared to catch it when they had not been in contact with an infected person.

MERS cases have also been reported in Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Tunisia.

But, most cases have been in Saudi Arabia, which is set to receive millions of Muslim pilgrims during Ramadan next month.

Please, if you are traveling to any of the affected locations, take the necessary precautions. God’s speed.