http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/health/mers-virus-merits-caution-not-alarm-who-says.html 2014-10-03 05:30:18 Mideast Virus MERS Merits Caution, Not Alarm, W.H.O. Says The announcement coincided with the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. The report suggested precautions for travelers to Saudi Arabia to minimize risk of exposure to MERS. === Despite their worries earlier this year, world health authorities say there is little reason to fear that the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which began Thursday, will spread the MERS virus widely around the world. But they are emphasizing that vigilance is still important. The Separately, the risk of This past spring, Some pilgrims do take side trips, and there have been four recent cases in Riyadh. Also, the first MERS case in Austria, detected on Monday, was in a 29-year-old Saudi woman who was reported to be from either Medina or Afif. The emergency panel, which has met seven times, timed its announcement to coincide with the pilgrimage, known as The virus is believed to be widespread in camels. It can jump from person to person, but such cases are rare outside hospitals and Some scientists say that cases surge after camels give birth in late winter, creating a new crop of young, susceptible animals, who then infect a few humans. Most transmission last spring was tied to poor infection control in hospitals, and the outbreak led to tighter hospital regulations. A few small clusters have occurred since then in hospitals, “but not the big numbers that were reported in the spring,” said Dr. Susan I. Gerber, team leader for respiratory viruses in the viral disease division of the United States Anyone traveling to the area should still avoid contact with camels — especially sick ones — and with products like raw milk or undercooked meat, Dr. Gerber said. People with “It’s hard to say exactly what the risk is, but MERS hasn’t disappeared,” she warned.