The novel coronavirus was renamed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) following the proposal of the Coronavirus Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.

WHO said that it has not convened a group to discuss the naming of this virus, and the proposed name MERS-CoV, representing a consensus acceptable to WHO, was built on consultations with numerous scientists.

Virus names that evade the region or place of the initial detection of the virus are generally prefered by WHO, which added that this approach was intended to minimize unnecessary geographical discrimination that could be based on coincidental detection rather than on the true area of emergence of a virus.

WHO said that several Middle East countries have been affected by this significant public health threat, including Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, and cases with direct or indirect connection to the Middle East have also been reported by France, Germany, Britain and Tunisia.

WHO updated on May 23 that to date the global total of confirmed cases of human infections with MERS-CoV reached 44, including 22 deaths. Moreover, France confirmed its first death from the new deadly virus on Tuesday.

WHO recommended members to enhance surveillance and precautions for the testing and management of suspected cases and promptly notify the organization of any new case of infection with the new virus. The organization reclaimed that it is working closely with countries and international partners.