Surveillance of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)
Learn how Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is monitored.
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How many cases are there of Middle East respiratory syndrome?
There are no reported cases of MERS in Canada.
Most of the cases of MERS reported around the world have been in the Middle East.
Updates on MERS are available on the World Health Organization’s website. The updates include:
- total number of cases and deaths
- affected countries
How does Canada monitor Middle East respiratory syndrome?
Potential cases of MERS are reported to provincial or territorial departments of health. They are then reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Canada has developed procedures for identifying and reporting cases of MERS. Our main surveillance goals are to:
- detect a Canadian case of MERS early
- use control measures to prevent the spread of the virus
- prevent a Canadian outbreak of MERS
All research with live MERS virus is being done under strictly controlled settings in high-containment laboratories. Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory has diagnostic tests that can rapidly detect the MERS virus.