CAIRO
Egypt has reported a second case of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), commonly known as coronavirus.
An Egyptian woman coming from Saudi Arabia is suspected to have contracted the virus, the Health Ministry said in a Monday statement.
The statement, however, said that tests have yet to confirm the infection.
Egypt reported on Saturday its first coronavirus case.
The Health Ministry said a 27-year-old engineer arriving from Saudi Arabia had come in close contact with an infected person in the kingdom.
Along with Saudi Arabia, the virus, which can cause fever and pneumonia, has been reported in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Jordan and Oman.
The Egyptian Health Minister did not rule out the possibility of a rise in the number of virus infections in Egypt.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians travel to and from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries every year.
MERS, for which no known cure is available, destroys the lungs and kidneys. It is presumed that long-term physical contact can lead to infection.
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