After the deadly Ebola outbreak, it is
MERS virus, which is making global headlines. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
Coronavirus, better known as MERS-CoV, is a strain of coronavirus that causes a
viral respiratory illness. The disease was first reported in the Saudi Arabia
in September 2012. To date, several countries have reported MERS-CoV
infections, including China, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Republic of
Korea from the Western Pacific Region.
Saudi Arabia is on verge of the outbreak
once again as the travelers begin to arrive for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage
to Islam’s holy sites that falls between September 20 and 25 this year. During
the course of the pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia hosts more than 2 million people,
such a large gathering make it extraordinarily easy for a virus like MERS to
spread. Though the majority of human cases of MERS have been attributed to
human-to-human infections but camels are likely to be a major reservoir host
for MERS-CoV and an animal source of MERS infection in humans.
Typical MERS symptoms include fever,
cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is common, but not always present.
Gastrointestinal symptoms includediarrhoea. According to the WHO, 1,244 MERS
cases have been reported globally to date and approximately 36% of reported
patients with MERS have died.People with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung
disease, and immune-compromised persons are considered to be at high risk of
severe disease from MERS‐CoV infection.
Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly
camels, when visiting farms, markets, or barn areas where
the virus is known to be potentially circulating.
Prevention
is better than cure
Ø Infection
prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of
MERS-CoV in health care facilities.
Ø Droplet
precautions should be added to the standard precautions when providing care to
patients.
Ø General
hygiene measures, such as regular hand washing before and after touching
animals and avoiding contact with sick animals, should be adhered to.
Ø Food
hygiene practices should be observed. People should avoid drinking raw camel
milk or camel urine, or eating meat that has not been properly cooked.
Central governments and healthcare
workers in all countries including India are maintaining a high level of
surveillance and vigilance for the possibility of MERS-CoV especially among
migrant workers returning from the affected countries. Keeping in mind the
upcoming Hajj pilgrimage and the amount of people expected to go to Mecca,
there is a need to worry and be vigilant about MERS.
The urgent need of the hour is to
develop supplemental surveillance
strategies other than the currently recommended measures.
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