Agencies
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Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabia has been replaced by Labour Minister Adel Fakieh as the kingdom grapples with a worrying surge of new cases of the Sars-like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers).
Al-Rabia was named adviser to King Abdullah and replaced by Labour Minister Fakieh who keeps his current post, said a royal decree carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
Saudi Arabia has reported 244 cases of Mers since the disease was identified in 2012, of which 79 have been fatal. The spread of new infections slowed during the winter, but there has been a sudden increase in cases this month.
The 49 confirmed infections announced over the past week, mostly in the port city of Jeddah, represent an increase of 25% in the total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak began.
The authorities have at times struggled to counter swirling rumours on social media that they have not been transparent about how far the disease has spread and how effective are the preventative measures taken in hospitals.
Last week the cabinet told Saudi news outlets to report only those cases that had been officially confirmed in laboratory tests by the health ministry.
On Sunday, Rabia said he thought the sudden spurt of new cases in Jeddah might have a seasonal cause, given there was also an uptick in infections about a year ago, but added that he had “no idea” why that might be.
Mers was initially concentrated in eastern Saudi Arabia but it now affects other areas.
