Health officials warn of ‘camel flu’ from World Cup in Qatar
Healthcare officials are warning physicians to be on the lookout for camel flu as soccer fans start coming back from the World Cup games in Qatar.
The UK Health Security Agency advised doctors to be on the lookout for patients suffering from fever and breathing difficulties, British news agency Metro reports. The Australian health ministry similarly warned citizens returning from the 2022 FIFA World Cup “should be aware of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS),” the virus that causes camel flu.
That notice also lists coughing and diarrhea as symptoms of the potentially deadly infection for which there is no vaccine. Australian officials warn the “rare but severe respiratory illness” from the Middle East spreads “through close contact with camels carrying the virus or an infected person, or by consuming uncooked camel meat or unpasteurised camel milk.”
While not commonly found in humans, MERS has been fatal in 35% of cases reported to the World Health Organization. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since appeared in the United States, the United Kingdom and roughly a dozen other countries outside the Middle East. Pneumonia sometimes results from infections.
English soccer fans started making their way back from Qatar after their team lost 2-1 to France on Saturday. Australia’s national team pulled off a stunning 1-0 win against Denmark on Nov. 30, but were sent packing following a Dec. 3 loss to Argentina. That same day, the U.S. team got knocked out of the tournament. Argentina battles Croatia on Tuesday for a trip to the championship game against the winner of France’s Wednesday match against Morocco.
More than 2.45 million people attended the first 48 World Cup matches in Qatar, by FIFA’s count.
