France has confirmed its first cases of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in over a decade, with the WHO reporting 19 cases globally in 2025 including four deaths
France has confirmed its first cases of MERS in more than a decade(Image: Getty)
France has reported its first cases of the lethal Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in over a decade – sparking urgent concerns about a new infectious threat on a continent still reeling from the Covid-19 crisis. The two imported cases, documented between December 2 and 3 by France’s International Health Regulations National Focal Point, involved holidaymakers who had travelled to the Arabian Peninsula in November.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that “All cases had been travellers exposed in the Arabian Peninsula and returning to France.”
These represent France’s first MERS infections since 2013, taking the nation’s tally to four laboratory-verified cases, including one fatality. Worldwide, the WHO states that “Since the beginning of 2025 and as of December 21, 2025, a total of 19 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), including four deaths have been reported to WHO globally.”
Among these, 17 emerged in Saudi Arabia spanning areas such as Riyadh, Taif, Najran, Hail, and Hafr Al-Batin, with no epidemiological connections discovered between them. The virus’s appearance in Europe and North America this month underscores the ongoing danger of global travel-linked transmission.
MERS-CoV, a coronavirus boasting a shocking 37% fatality rate, is significantly more lethal than SARS-CoV-2, although it spreads less easily among people. Mainly transmitted from infected dromedary camels, it has triggered hospital outbreaks, including South Korea’s 2015 crisis which claimed 38 lives, reports the Express.
The WHO warns: “These cases show that the virus continues to pose a threat in countries where it is circulating in dromedary camels, with regular spillover into the human population.”
For a Europe still recovering from the catastrophic impact of Covid-19 – which laid bare weaknesses in disease monitoring, border security, and health services – these imported cases stir troubling recollections of how swiftly viruses can spread. The French patients, both men aged in their 70s, were kept under careful observation whilst officials worked to prevent any possible outbreak.
French health chiefs acted swiftly: “Contact tracing was initiated as soon as the first case was detected for the monitoring and surveillance of fellow travellers and co-exposed individuals, high-risk contacts, and hospital contacts.”
Modern biocontainment facilities allow scientists to safely pathogens(Image: Express)
This meant tracking down the 34 members of the patients’ tour group. By 19 December, no additional cases had emerged, and genetic analysis showed the strain was consistent with those present in the Arabian Peninsula.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) judges the likelihood of ongoing transmission as extremely low, yet the WHO cautions: “Due to the similarity of symptoms with other respiratory diseases that are widely circulating, like influenza or COVID-19, detection and diagnosis of MERS cases may be delayed, especially in unaffected countries, and provide an opportunity for onward human-to-human transmission to go undetected.”
Drawing on Covid lessons, the WHO recommends: “Strengthened surveillance with immediate notification of all suspected and confirmed cases,” along with rigorous infection control measures in medical facilities.
It urges people to steer clear of uncooked camel products and keep a safe distance from the animals, noting: “People with these underlying medical conditions should avoid close contact with animals, particularly dromedaries, when visiting farms, markets, or barn areas where the virus may be circulating.”
Without a jab or targeted therapy on offer, and with worldwide risk sitting at “moderate”, this stubborn virus’s emergence in Europe highlights how precarious our post-Covid bounce-back really is. With holiday bookings soaring, health authorities are ramping up safeguards to ward off another coronavirus emergency.