Spike in Saudi Mers cases sparks outbreak fears ahead of Hajj

A spike in MERS cases in Saudi Arabia has raised alarms about potential outbreaks during the annual Hajj festival, with at least nine infections reported since March and two deaths. Healthcare workers are at high risk due to close contact with an infected patient in Riyadh, while two cases remain unsolved, complicating efforts to prevent wider spread of the virus. Disease analytics firm Airfinity cautions that these cases heighten the risk of local and international outbreaks amid the upcoming event.