Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus - two years into the epidemic.

As of 23 April 2014, 345 people have been reported infected, and of those 107 have died [2]. Most cases occurred in Saudi Arabia (SA) and to a lesser extent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), still further 11 countries in Europe, Asia and North Africa have reported cases linked to the Arabian peninsula. Few clusters and cases were noted in the second half of 2012, and the epidemic has been stable at low levels in 2013, with about 15 cases notified monthly (Figure). This has changed dramatically over the past weeks when we faced an unprecedented increase in cases and community transmission as well as transmission in hospital settings.