RIYADH: As three more people died from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus ((MERS-COV) on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Health Ministry announced that the recent outbreak in Buraidah was caused by people coming into contact with infected camels.

Deputy Health Minister for Public Health Abdul Aziz bin Saeed told Arab News that during winter the virus carried by certain young camels can infect humans.

Bin Saeed said the infections confirm the results of a survey carried out in December by the ministry, which found that 50 out of 160 young camels tested carried the virus. “We presume that this is the situation among camels in other parts of the Kingdom too,” he said.

The virus, which has infected 1,346 people since its detection, jas taken a toll of 572 lives in the Kingdom since June 2012. The latest casualties were two Saudi men aged 60 and 84, and a 33-year-old expatriate.