UPDATE 1-Saudi Arabia replaces health minister amid MERS virus fears

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(In fifth paragraph, corrects rate of increase in total number of cases to 25 percent from four-fold) RIYADH, April 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian King Abdullah ******* Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah from his post on Monday as the kingdom grapples with a worrying surge of new cases of the SARS-like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). His duties will be taken over by Labour Minister Adel Fakieh, who keeps his current post, state television reported. Rabeeah, who on Sunday told a televised news conference there was ** medical reason to impose stricter preventative measures against the spread of MERS, has been made an adviser to the Royal Court, the decree said. Saudi Arabia has reported 244 cases of MERS since the disease was identified in 2012, of which 79 have been fatal.

أكثر... (https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-replaces-health-minister-amid-mers-virus-160852041.html)