Jordan confirmed on Sunday a new death of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus infection that has been spreading throughout the region.

An official with the Health Ministry said that a nurse who works at a private hospital tested positive for the deadly virus last week and died on Sunday.

Nine MERS cases have been detected in Jordan since 2012, of whom five have died.

The MERS outbreak has caused a panic throughout the region, prompting many governments to launch awareness campaigns and precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Saudi Arabia, the hardest hit country, has reported more than 371 confirmed infections of the killer virus, with a death toll of more than 107 people in the past two years.