- Title: HEALTH-PHILIPPINES/MERS Philippines confirms second MERS case
- Date: 6th July 2015
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JULY 6, 2015)(REUTERS) PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SPOKESPERSON LYNDON LEE-SUY AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SECRETARY JANETTE GARIN TAKING SEATS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE)(English/Filipino) PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SECRETARY, JANETTE GARIN, SAYING: "Last Saturday, around 11:30 in the morning, we received a referral from the Research Inst
- Embargoed: 21st July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Philippines
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA2TBPV62GBVPRCP6VNGXLX5XFQ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Philippines confirmed a second case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus on Monday (July 6) in a man who showed symptoms after arriving in Manila last month from Dubai.
"Last Saturday, around 11:30 in the morning, we received a referral from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine about a foreigner from the Middle East who was suffering from coughs. By 5 p.m., the test yielded positive a positive result. The patient was immediately confined inside the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and is now under observation, but is stable and very cooperative," she said.
The 36-year-old was admitted to hospital on Saturday (July 4) and was under observation, Health Ministry spokesman Lyndon Lee-suy said.
The man had also travelled to Saudi Arabia, the spokesman said. His condition was improving and there was no known transmission so far.
Lee-suy said authorities are now tracing those who came into contact with him.
"Currently a close contact of the patient, who developed a cough, is also in isolation, and we are awaiting results of her test. At the moment, Task Force MERS has started tracing the contacts of people who were passively exposed to our patient during the history of travel here in our country. Those contacted will be monitored daily by the regional service unit until they are cleared of infection," she said.
The Health Ministry has not recommended any travel restrictions to countries infected by the virus.
"Meanwhile, the WHO (World Health Organization) does not recommend imposition of any travel, trade or screening restrictions related to MERS. It is advised that travelers, whether tourists or migrant workers, should maintain a high level of vigilance, especially those coming from MERS infected countries," she said.
The first case discovered in the Philippines was in January, a Filipino nurse working in Saudi Arabia who survived.
MERS was first identified in humans in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and the majority of cases have been in the Middle East. Scientists are not sure of the origin of the virus, but several studies have linked it to camels.
Isolated cases cropped up in Asia before South Korea recorded the biggest number in an outbreak that started in May.
Nearly 180 people have been infected and 27 people have died in South Korea, the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia. In the Thai capital Bangkok, more than a hundred people were believed to have been in contact with an Omani man, the only MERS case in Thailand who eventually recovered.
The World Health Organization described South Korea's outbreak as a "wake-up call" but said it did not constitute a global emergency. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None