2012 MERS outbreak

For the epidemic, see 2015 South Korea Mers-CoV epidemic.

In 2012, the spread of the Middle East respiratory syndrome affected several countries, mainly in the Middle East. It was caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, known as "MERS" (not 2012-nCOV). It was first detected in a patient who was admitted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on June 6, 2012.

2012 Mers-CoV epidemic
Saudi Arabia, was the epicenter of MERS 2012
Disease	Coronavirus
Location	entire World
First outbreak	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Index case	Seoul, South Korea
Arrival date	June 6, 2012
Type	Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak
Deaths	2,543

The cases started in small clusters until the spread was reported in 24 countries, reaching 2,500 cases. The virus recorded deaths numbering around 900 until 2021.

Epidemic

MERS is a virus that belongs to the coronavirus family. It was first identified in the western city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, starting with symptoms similar to a simple cold. There are seven coronaviruses known to infect humans, ranging from alpha to beta.

Global surveillance of potential epidemics is in preparation due to the similarity of strains, given that SARS (2002) and MERS (2012) are being monitored.