The World Health Organisation held an emergency meeting on Tuesday to address the outbreak of the MERS coronavirus.

A press conference will be held on Wednesday as the virus begins to worry authorities around the world. This sharpened on Tuesday when two hospital workers were placed under observation in America, where a second victim has been confirmed.

This was only the second WHO emergency committee meeting, following the first in 2009 to deal with the H1N1 virus. For the moment most of the cases, more than 500, have been in Saudi Arabia, but there have been victims in Europe and Asia as well.