Assessments of good practices in addressing selected health threats in the EU/EEA : final report for Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)

EU Decision 1082/2013/EU (October 2013) on serious cross-border health threats sets out the legal basis for collaboration and information exchange between EU member states, as well as between international and European level institutions on preparedness, prevention, and mitigation in the event of a public health emergency. An important focus of EU Decision 1082 concerns arrangements aimed at ensuring interoperability between the health sector and other sectors that are seen as critical in the event of a cross-border public health emergency. One such potential public health threat is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). First identified in Saudi Arabia in early 2012, MERS is a respiratory infection transmitted to humans primarily by camels, but with some associated human-to-human transmission among household contacts and in healthcare settings. As of 11 November 2016, WHO had been notified of 1,826 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS infection globally, with a recorded 36% case fatality rate. Most MERS cases have occurred in the Middle East, with 75% of all cases reported from Saudi Arabia. South Korea has suffered the second largest number of cases globally, with 185 people infected during an outbreak in 2015; this epidemic was unusual in that it was driven primarily by three super-spreader individuals. Europe has experienced 15 MERS cases, and seven deaths, with seven EU countries affected. This Assessment seeks to identify strengths and opportunities for Member States, international institutions, and EU agencies to improve preparedness against MERS, and indirectly therefore also against other serious respiratory infectious diseases.