Thailand on alert against MERS-CoV disease

BANGKOK, August 10 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health has been on alert against the fatal SARS-like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which has been spreading in several countries with the increasing number of its dead victims. Dr.Nipon Phopattanachai (นิพนธ์ โพธิ์พัฒนชัย), Director-General of the ministry's Department of Medical Sciences, told journalists on Saturday that the total number of patients from the deadly disease, originated in Saudi Arabia, had reached 94 from September 20, 2012 to August 5, 2013, 46 of whom had died. Dr.Nipon said a latest report, issued on July 18, 2013, showed that patients were found in several countries, including Jordan, Qatar, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and France, noting that patients detected in the UK and France were those who had earlier visited the Middle East earlier. Citing that the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) has attached importance to the deadly disease, Dr.Nipon cautioned that Thai people, especially the elderly and those who are suffering from other diseases, could be infected with the MERS-CoV while visiting or performing their Hajj in the Middle East. Dr.Somchai Sangkitporn (สมชาย แสงกิจพร) , Director of the ministry’s National Institute of Health, then told reporters that all 14 laboratories under the Department of Medical Sciences have adopted a Realtime RT-PCR, currently used by the WHO, in reporting the differences between the deadly MERS-CoV and the previously-spread Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), with the outcome expected to be known within 24 hours. For dengue fever outbreaks, Thai health authorities reported, meanwhile, that there have been more than 5,000 dengue fever cases weekly on average in the country lately and advised people, particularly, children to protect themselves from the deadly disease, which is on widespread during the current monsoon season. (TNA)