The eighth meeting of the Emergency Committee (EC) convened by the Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) regarding the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was conducted with members and advisors of the Emergency Committee by teleconference on 4 February 2015, from 12:00 to 15:00 Central European Time. The WHO Secretariat provided an update on and assessment of epidemiological and scientific developments, including a description of recent cases and transmission patterns. The following countries provided an update on and assessment of MERS-CoV in their countries: Austria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. (Source: WHO news)