The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning to travellers to the Middle East to be on alert after the emergence of a deadly new coronavirus.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) first emerged in Saudi Arabia last year, where 40 of the 55 known cases have occurred.
It causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. While the number of known cases is small, it has been fatal in around 60 per cent of cases.
The warning comes as hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the Saudi city of Mecca during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in July.
"There have been now several examples where the virus has moved from one country to another through travellers," a statement from the World Health Organization says.
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While only 55 cases of MERS have emerged globally to date, the virus has caused death in around 60 per cent of those cases.
Other cases have also emerged in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and parts of Europe.
The WHO says more research needs to be done to understand transmission, however there is some evidence of close person-to-person contact between individuals who have tested positive for the virus.
