WHO Issued Strict Warnings As Camels Pose MERS Risk To Human Population Resulting To Increased Death Toll [VIDEO+REPORT]

Camels pose risk for people to acquire the latest kind of infection known as the MERS or the Middle East Respiratory Infection after it was known that the animal is most likely to be the source of the disease.

Recent reports say that health experts have identified camels to pose a risk for people to become vulnerable with MERS. The disease is believed to be from the said animals and the rate for the incidence of the disease is already increasing. With that, the World Health Organization (WHO) has already increased its warnings about having contact with camels.

The Saudi Health Ministry said on Sunday that three more people had caught the disease and four died from it. Around a third of the 483 individuals diagnosed with MERS in Saudi Arabia have already died. To prevent the spread of the infection, WHO has urged the people to avoid products that are coming from camels as they pose a risk for contracting the MERS virus.

According to the health organization, people who caught MERS are at risk for severe illness. Therefore, infected individuals should not have contact with camels, must only consume well-cooked camel meat and pasteurized camel milk. Moreover, drinking urine from camels is also prohibited as they may also pose a risk. Camel urine is believed by some to have medicinal capabilities.

"Camel meat and camel milk are nutritious products that can continue to be consumed after pasteurization, cooking, or other heat treatments," an updated WHO document states.

The animal has been a vital part of the kingdom's daily living. It has been raised for food in the Middle East and also a means of transportation. As camels pose risk to the human population, sick camels are already prohibited from being slaughtered and has been kept isolated.

MERS is a coronavirus like SARS which is believed to originate from the animals. Although cases have been reported in different parts of the world, its point of outbreak is concentrated in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, no vaccine or any anti-viral treatment is known to cure the disease.