A 75-Year-Old MERS Patient In Thailand Declared Virus-Free

The Omani patient’s diagnosis last month was the first MERS case in Southeast Asia. Thailand now appears to be MERS-free after the patient tested negative for the virus.

An Omani man who became Thailand's first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was discharged from hospital on July 3 after being declared free of the deadly virus.

A 75-year-old Omani man’s diagnosis last month was Southeast Asia's first case since the disease was confirmed in South Korea in May where it has killed 33 people and infected 184 in the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) - Causes Symptoms Treatment Prevention
MERS, a newly discovered respiratory disease, was recently reported in the Arabian region. MERS is caused by a virus similar to that causing common cold and other respiratory illnesses.

Thailand now appears to be MERS-free after the Omani patient tested negative for the virus and the 176 other people who were under surveillance for having been in contact with him also showed no signs of the disease.

"A communicable diseases expert has confirmed that he's free from MERS," Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said in a statement.

"After 14 days of surveillance everybody is normal and laboratory results have not detected any MERS."

South Korea Reports Three New MERS Cases, Total Number of Cases Rise to 169
The three new MERS infections came a day after South Korea reported no new cases, raising guarded hope that Seoul was winning the battle to contain the virus.

The former MERS patient and three of his relatives will fly home to Oman on Friday evening, Sopon Mekthon, director of Thailand's department of disease control, said.

Thailand, a booming medical tourism hub popular with Middle Eastern patients, has been praised by the World Health Organization for swiftly isolating its first MERS patient and relatives last month.

South Korea Reports No New MERS Case for the Second Consecutive Day
The MERS virus, for which there is no vaccine, has spread at an unusually rapid pace in South Korea, becoming the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia.

The Omani man had traveled to Bangkok for treatment for a heart condition before he was diagnosed with the virus and quickly moved to a hospital on the outskirts of the city for treatment.

The health ministry statement released on July 3 said he had presented without a fever for 15 days, and was breathing without any support from a ventilator for the past five, and that he was now able to walk unaided.

MERS Cases Rise to 181, Death Total Rises to 31: South Korean Health Ministry
The South Korean health ministry reported 181 cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and two deaths due to the virus, escalating the toll to 31.

"He tested negative for (the virus) five times. The last test was conducted on July 1," it said.

Source-AFP