MERS-CoV Outbreak: Cluster of Cases in South KoreaOn May 20, 2015, South Korea notified the WHO of the first case of MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) diagnosed within its borders. This patient had traveled to the Arabian Peninsula from April 18 to May 4, developed initial clinical symptoms on May 11, and was diagnosed on May 20, 2015. He visited at least three healthcare facilities. As of June 1, following this index case, 14 additional cases had been confirmed and reported to the WHO by Korean authorities, including one case exported to China. In total, as of June 9, 2015, 107 cases (including 9 deaths) had been reported by South Korea, including one case exported to China. All cases have an epidemiological link to the index case or secondary cases. At least six healthcare facilities across four cities are affected. Currently, more than 2,300 contacts are being monitored. The source of infection and the modes of human-to-human transmission of this emerging virus remain poorly understood. The main modes of transmission identified are community-acquired infections, nosocomial infections, and person-to-person transmission within the same household. To date, there is neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment for MERS-CoV. In light of the emergence of a cluster of this magnitude outside the Arab region, the MERS-CoV case definition—which applies within the framework of enhanced surveillance in France—has been modified. It now specifically includes the criterion of having visited a healthcare facility in South Korea.

New Estimates of Departmental Cancer Incidence in FranceThe French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS), the Francim network of cancer registries, the biostatistics department of the Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), and the National Cancer Institute (INCa) are releasing new departmental estimates of cancer incidence today.