The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong warning over a rise in cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), marking its first major global alert since the COVID-19 pandemic.
France has confirmed two new MERS-CoV infections in early December 2025, the country’s first cases in more than a decade. The patients had recently traveled to the Arabian Peninsula, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in France to four, including one death.
According to the WHO, 19 MERS-CoV cases and four deaths were reported worldwide as of December 21, 2025. Seventeen of these cases occurred in Saudi Arabia, with the remaining two detected in France. Genetic sequencing confirmed that the French cases match strains circulating in the Arabian Peninsula.
While the WHO says global and regional risks remain moderate, it warned that MERS-CoV still poses a threat in some countries. The virus, mainly transmitted from camels to humans, has a high fatality rate of about 37%, though human-to-human spread is limited.
