The spread of a puzzling respiratory virus in the Middle East and beyond is not a global health emergency despite a recent spike in cases, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
The decision was made after a London meeting of WHO's expert group on the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.
Since 2012, MERS has sickened more than 500 people and killed 145. The majority of cases have been in Saudi Arabia, although the disease has spread widely. "Calling a global emergency in a world which has a lot of urgent issues going on is a major act," said Keiji Fukuda, an assistant director-general of WHO. "You have to have really solid information to say this is a global emergency." - AP