The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported on four cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, which reared their heads at the end of 2014. Between 19 and 30 December, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia informed WHO that three additional cases had been reported – in an 84-year-old male from Najran city (who passed away on 1 January), a 31-year-old female from Riyadh city, and a 53-year-old male from Alkharj city. And on 25 December, the National IHR Focal Point of Jordan notified WHO of one case of the infection there, in a 70-year-old non-national male from Quriat city. As of 5 January this year, WHO had been notified of 945 laboratory-confirmed cases of the infection globally, including at least 348 deaths in relation to the disease.