As Virus Spreads, Saudis Defend Role

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BY ELLEN KNICKMEYER IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA AND BETSY MCKAY IN ATLANTA
A SARS-like virus has infected 15 people, nine of whom have died, mostly in Saudi Arabia, worrying some Western scientists who question whether the kingdom is sharing enough critical data on the outbreak.
But a top Saudi Arabia health official rejected those complaints on Tuesday and said the virus posed a low risk of pandemic.
The disease—similar to the SARS virus that emerged a decade ago that killed nearly 1,000 people—was recently found capable of spreading person-to-person. Of the deaths confirmed in humans since April, six have occurred in Saudi Arabia, including three since February, said the World Health Organization, …
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Originally posted here: As Virus Spreads, Saudis Defend Role