MERS has not been declared a global health emergency by the WHO

The recent outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has caused concern, but it is not yet been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.

The appearance of MERS has been compared to the appearance of other viruses, including the H7N9 bird-flu virus. Precautions were taken after two cases of MERS were reported. At the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warning signs for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome were posted at 22 major U.S. airports, according to the Chicago Tribune.

On Wednesday, in Geneva, the WHO said that a committee of health experts agreed that the cases of MERS are being considered. However, it does not meet the criteria for being declared a “public health emergency of international concern.”

In Switzerland, WHO spokesman Keiji Fukuda answered numerous questions about the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Fukuda said, “We are not in the middle of eradication of MERS,” according to The Washington Post. He did explain that calling for a global emergency is major act, and the WHO is not currently doing that regarding the situation.