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Monday 25 Jan 2016 - 10:24 Makkah mean time-15-4-1437
New case of MERS confirmed in Thailand (Photo: WHO)
Bangkok (IINA) – The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday cautioned Southeast Asian countries to remain vigilant against the continuing risks of Coronavirus (MERS CoV) after Thailand confirmed the sometimes fatal disease in a traveler, its second case in seven months.
“The new case of MERS CoV is a reminder of the continued risk of importation of the disease from countries where it still persists,” WHO Southeast Asia Region Director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said.
She said all countries need to further enhance surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections and step up infection prevention and control procedures in health-care facilities to rapidly detect any case of importation and effectively prevent its spread.
UN News Center reported that a 71-year-old Omani, who arrived in Bangkok for treatment on January 22 and was admitted to a private hospital, tested positive for MERS and has since been transferred to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. Measures are being taken to trace all his contacts during his journey to Thailand, and within Bangkok.
This is the second MERS case in Thailand, and in the WHO Southeast Asia Region. Last June another Omani traveler in Bangkok tested positive for the disease.
MERS CoV, which was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012, is caused by a virus. Typical symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is common, but not always present. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, have also been reported.
AB/IINA
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