Amidst worldwide concerns over likely spread of a deadly respiratory disease that broke out in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued world travel advice to minimise its spread during the on-going Umra and the coming Hajj pilgrimages.
The advice issued, late on Thursday, also disclosed that the disease,
named Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has
affected nine countries to date, while adding that the WHO is
coordinating the global response to the emerging virus.
The WHO
particularly asked pilgrims who developed a significant acute
respiratory illness with fever and cough, severe enough to interfere
with daily activities to minimise their contact with others to keep from
infecting them, among other personal hygiene prescriptions. It also
advised persons who have had close physical contacts with any sick
pilgrim and who have also noticed similar symptoms to report to the
hospital for monitoring.
While admitting that the risk from the MERS
virus is “considered very low,” the WHO, however, cautioned that
countries should advise pilgrims with chronic diseases such as diabetes,
chronic lung disease and immunodeficiency to “review the risk and
assess whether making the pilgrimage is advisable.”
“Returning
pilgrims should be advised that if they develop a significant acute
respiratory illness with fever and cough (severe enough to interfere
with usual daily activities) during the two weeks after their return,
they should seek medical attention and immediately notify their local
health authority.
“Persons who have had close contact with a pilgrim
or traveller with a significant acute respiratory illness with fever
and cough (severe enough to interfere with usual daily activities) and
who themselves develop such an illness should be advised to report to
local health authorities to be monitored for MERS-CoV.
“Practitioners and facilities should be alerted to the possibility of
MERS-CoV infection in returning pilgrims with acute respiratory illness,
especially those with fever and cough and pulmonary parenchymal disease
(e.g. pneumonia or the acute respiratory distress syndrome). If
clinical presentation suggests the diagnosis of MERS-CoV, laboratory
testing,5,6 in accordance with WHO’s case definition7 should be done and
infection prevention and control measures implemented. Clinicians
should also be alerted to the possibility of atypical presentations in
patients who are immunocompromised,” the WHO said.
The World Health Organisation puts the latest global toll from MERS at 45 deaths from a total of 90 laboratory-confirmed cases.
Source: Tribune
