to remember that recent travelers from the Arabian Peninsula and close contacts of an ill traveler from the Arabian Peninsula are at increased risk for MERS. According to information available on the website of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, people who develop fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travelling from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula, should consult a healthcare provider and mention their recent travel history. While sick, they should stay home from work or school and delay future travel to reduce the possibility of spreading illness to others.
Similarly, those who have had close contact with someone within 14 days after they travelled from a country in or near the Arabian Peninsula, and the traveller has/had fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, should monitor their health for 14 days, starting from the day they were last exposed to the ill person. If they develop fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, they should immediately consult a healthcare provider.
MERS was first reported in 2012 from Saudi Arabia, which is the reservoir of this virus. MERS-CoV has been reported from 26 countries so far, and all cases showed direct or indirect link with the Arabian Peninsula.
Dr. Thieren emphasized that since MERS-CoV is a new virus, there is very less knowledge available about the disease and the virus. Yet, knowing the disease and its virus is important. “MERS-CoV is not Ebola, although it also presents with high mortality. It is also not as contagious as other airborne diseases like measles. We believe that while scientific facts are important in this case, we must also understand its context and how we communicate. It is important to involve doctors, scientists and the media,” the WHO chief added.
Dr. Malik Muhammad Safi, director programmes at the Ministry of Health referred to MERS-CoV is an emerging disease with high mortality rate. He said, Pakistan needs to be well-prepared for this challenge. “The Haj season has commenced, so this is the right time to come up with a common risk mitigation plan in coordination with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Religious Affairs,” he stated.
Dr. Malik briefed the participants about the steps that the federal and provincial governments are taking for the control of communicable diseases and IHR implementation. He emphasized the need for coordinated efforts among all provinces and national institutes involved in implementation of IHR and communicable disease control activities, and discussed the initiatives taken so far for preparedness against diseases such as Ebola and MERS-CoV.
Dr. Malik acknowledged support of WHO to the Health Ministry and thanked the organisation for timely arrangement of the two-day meeting in which all stakeholders and provinces participated.