Ministry Announces Six MERS Infections
A man, wearing a mouth and nose mask, checks his phone as he leaves the hospital’s emergency department, in this April 27, 2014 file photo, in the Saudi capital Riyadh. (AFP)
RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has announced that six people were infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the period from June 28 to July 6.
The ministry has now recorded 1,045 cases of MERS since June 2012, with 579 people who have recovered and 460 deaths. Six people are still under treatment for the disease.
The six cases reported last week were in Riyadh, Dammam and Turba. The ministry said it was working around the clock to ensure all public and private health facilities adhere to infection control procedures.
It was also working with several government departments and international health organizations to follow up on the latest MERS developments. This includes an awareness campaign with the Ministry of Agriculture to inform people about taking precautions around camels.
The ministry stated that community participation was important to tackle MERS in the country.
إعلان
According to a report from a Gulf-based website on Monday, South Korea has recorded about 200 cases of MERS over the past six weeks, including more than 30 deaths.
In a push to curb the spread of the disease, Seoul recently passed laws to jail people who defy quarantine or anti-infection measures.
The South Korean outbreak began on May 20 when a 68-year-old man was diagnosed with MERS after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Philippines on Monday confirmed a second case of MERS after a 36-year-old foreigner showed symptoms of the disease when he arrived in Manila on June 19 from Dubai. The man was admitted to a government hospital on July 4 and was under observation.
The man had also traveled to Saudi Arabia. His condition was improving and there was no known transmission to the community.
The first case in the Philippines was in January — a Filipino nurse working in Saudi Arabia who survived the disease.