The Saudi Health Ministry on Monday confirmed the infection of 49 people with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, in a week, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Forty-seven cases were reported in Riyadh and the two others were in Najran and Abha, the ministry said.

It added that 1,390 samples were tested in the laboratories of the ministry during the same period.

Saudi Arabia has identified 1,147 infections of the virus, including 487 deaths, since the appearance of the disease in the kingdom in 2012.

The MERS virus can cause symptoms such as fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure.