Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih has appointed a leading Saudi expert to help tackle the dangerous Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.

Fakeih said Thursday that Tariq Ahmed Madani would become a member of the Ministry of Health team working to stem infections and deaths in the country.

MERS has infected 287 people and killed 85 since September 2012. The rate of infections and deaths has jumped significantly over the past few weeks in the country, including the first case recorded in Makkah.

Since 2000, Madani has been working as a full time adviser to the minister of health, and has served on various bodies including the National Infection Control Committee, the Health Ministry's Scientific Committee, and the Haj Infection Control Committee.

“We want to harness the expertise and knowledge of Madani for the nation's benefit,” Fakeih said.

Madani pledged to use his expertise to counter the virus. “The coronavirus is a great challenge for the Kingdom,” he said.

An expert on infectious diseases, Madani earlier affirmed the link between MERS and camels after research proved that the viruses isolated from a Saudi patient and his camel were 100 percent similar.