Thread: Thai Health Authorities On High Alert Over MERS

Thai Health Authorities On High Alert Over MERS

BANGKOK, April 18 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Public Health has cautioned public health offices nationwide to be on alert over the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) particularly travellers from 11 countries where cases of the virus have been reported, Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahametapat gave the warning in response to a health advice issued by the Thai Consulate-General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Thais residing in western Saudi Arabia after a MERS patient was reported in a Saudi city.

Dr. Narong said his ministry has been keeping an eye for any possible outbreak of MERS in the country after the first patient was reported in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sept 20, 2012.

No cases of MERS infection have so far been reported in Thailand.

Cases have been reported in Jordan, Qatar, Britain, United Arab Emirates, France, Tunisia, Germany, Italy, Oman and Kuwait, with the highest number of patients in Saudi Arabia.

Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed a total of 238 people were diagnosed with MERS as of April 16 this year of whom 92 have died.

bernama.com

This can't be as bad as that SARS that hit a while back. They need a threat scale for these things.

Stay away from Arabs by the sound of it?

More people die from car accidents than this. 50 people died in Thailand from H1N1 this year so far.

50 die of H1N1 this year | Bangkok Post: news

The threat is minimal for all these things.

But the potential is huge.

Originally Posted by Koojo

Stay away from Arabs by the sound of it?

And Bettyboo

Related. Just for comparison...

"Bill Gates posted the graphic below to his blog on April 25.
It shows how many people are killed by different species of animal every year. The big red block at the bottom might surprise you:"

Read more: Bill Gates Mind-Blowing Infographic Mosquitoes - Business Insider