First MERS case confirmed in Thailand: public health minister

[webfact]

First MERS case confirmed in Thailand: public health minister
AFP

BANGKOK: -- Thai health officials Thursday said a 75-year-old man from the Middle East was confirmed to have MERS, the country's first case after a deadly outbreak of the virus hit South Korea.

"(The man) is from a Middle Eastern country. The (test) results confirmed that he has Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)," said Rajata Rajatanavin, Thailand's Public Health Minister, adding the patient had arrived in the kingdom with his family three days ago.

Thailand had investigated around 20 people for the virus, all of who tested negative.

MERS has spread at an alarmingly rapid pace in South Korea since the first case was diagnosed on May 20, infecting 165 in what is the largest outbreak outside Saudi Arabia and prompting a major public health scare.

Earlier on Thursday World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan had expressed guarded optimism over South Korea's ability to contain the MERS outbreak, saying it was now "on a very good footing" after an initially slow response to the virus which has killed 23 people.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-06-18

[greenchair]

Just when they said, South Korea was safe and no danger of spreading.

Like ebola

No problem, no problem.

[Jingthing]

Yeah, but surprising to me, there never as an Ebola case here.

Now this. Ugh.

[Strangebrew]

No worries mates, Thailand will have a cure by the weekend.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Thailand confirms first MERS case: Health ministry

BANGKOK:-- (Reuters) - Thailand confirmed its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Thursday, becoming the fourth Asian country to register the deadly virus this year.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin told a news conference that a 75-year-old businessman from Oman had tested positive for MERS.

"From two lab tests we can confirm that the MERS virus was found," Rajata said, adding the man had travelled to Bangkok for medical treatment for a heart condition.

"The first day he came he was checked for the virus. The patient ... contracted the MERS virus."

The health minister said 59 others were being monitored for the virus, including three of the man's relatives who travelled with him to Bangkok.

MERS is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as the one that triggered China's deadly 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/health-mers-thailand-idUSL3N0Z43QI20150618

-- Reuters 2015-06-18

[Somtamnication]

Can't wait for the TAT slogan for this one.

Medical tourism at its best.

[moojar]

No worries mates, Thailand will have a cure by the weekend.

And the tourist numbers will go up.

[Bellacissa]

Can't wait for the TAT slogan for this one.

Medical tourism at its best.

"Amazing Thailand! Come for the beaches, stay for the MERS! Free face mask and hand sanitizer with every massage."

How's that? Think it will bring tourists storming in?

[Dibbler]

Now watch the Thai Ministry of Health completely botch the management of both disease and PR concerning it!

[Equalizer]

I have this every night when i sleep.

[how241]

No worries mates, Thailand will have a cure by the weekend.

ha ha ha ....we can only hope.

[ThailandGuy]

Next message will be:

Tourist sector of Thailand collapses......

Like ebola they should start checking everybody is you ask me.

[MockingJay]

Can't wait for the TAT slogan for this one.

Medical tourism at its best.

"Discover ThMers" ???

[2fishin2]

Thailand already has a cure for MERS. Remember, they still have the cure for Ebola also....

[ameadi]

Foolish comments

[Colabamumbai]

I am sure that there are many cases here. Thailand is so lax with everything, unless someone goes to a hospital dying the health ministry will never know.

Are they taking temperatures of all passengers arriving at Thai airports???? I think not. Standard procedure with any major outbreak.

They say it originated with Camels, in the mid east, Arab countries, and we do get a lot of visitors from these countries.

[MockingJay]

Great! Another health scare

[Larry]

From the friendly folks who brought you jihad, female genital mutilation, beheadings, suicide bombers, chadors, misogyny and global warming, 72 virgins for killing infidels, and so much more.......a new gift...MERS! You gotta lovem.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Larry

[JOC]

From the friendly folks who brought you jihad, female genital mutilation, beheadings, suicide bombers, chadors, misogyny and global warming, 72 virgins for killing infidels, and so much more.......a new gift...MERS! You gotta lovem.

A very strong contender for the most ignorant post of the day reward!!

PS. You forgot to blame them for Hiroshima and Nagasaki..............

[Pdavies99]

Thailand confirms first MERS case: Health ministry

BANGKOK:-- (Reuters) - Thailand confirmed its first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on Thursday, becoming the fourth Asian country to register the deadly virus this year.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin told a news conference that a 75-year-old businessman from Oman had tested positive for MERS.

"From two lab tests we can confirm that the MERS virus was found," Rajata said, adding the man had travelled to Bangkok for medical treatment for a heart condition.

"The first day he came he was checked for the virus. The patient ... contracted the MERS virus."

The health minister said 59 others were being monitored for the virus, including three of the man's relatives who travelled with him to Bangkok.

MERS is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as the one that triggered China's deadly 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/health-mers-thailand-idUSL3N0Z43QI20150618

-- Reuters 2015-06-18

I feel this could bad news here, Thailand will just deny any spread.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Pdavies99

[starchild5]

From the friendly folks who brought you jihad, female genital mutilation, beheadings, suicide bombers, chadors, misogyny and global warming, 72 virgins for killing infidels, and so much more.......a new gift...MERS! You gotta lovem.

Well Said...

[Ulic]

No worries mates, Thailand will have a cure by the weekend.

Just kick it over to the Thai guy that cured Ebola.

[Lite Beer]

Thailand reports first confirmed case of deadly MERS virus
THANYARAT DOKSONE, Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand confirmed on Thursday its first known case of the deadly MERS virus, a 75-year-old man who recently arrived from Oman for treatment of a heart condition.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said two laboratories had confirmed the results.

The man has been quarantined at the ministry's infectious diseases facility and is in stable condition, he said.

He said the patient was traveling with three other family members, who also are being watched at the facility. Public health officials are also monitoring others who were in contact with the man, including nearby passengers on the airplane.

Rajata said the man didn't have any symptoms while traveling to Bangkok, but began to have fatigue and difficulty breathing after he was admitted to a private hospital for treatment of his heart condition.

Many people from the Middle East come to Thailand for medical care.

"We advise the public not to panic because the patient and his family members were separated since the beginning," Rajata said. "Our system is ready and we are monitoring the cases closely."

Thanarak Phalipat, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology, said 59 people who were in contact with the patient have been identified so far by the ministry, including health personnel, hotel employees, passengers who sat two rows in front and behind the patient on the plane, and two taxi drivers.

Middle East respiratory syndrome has killed 23 people and sickened more than 160 in the past month in South Korea, in the biggest outbreak outside the region where it was first seen in 2012. More than 6,700 people are isolated at home or in medical facilities there, according to South Korea's Health Ministry.

World Health Organization head Margaret Chan on Thursday praised South Korea's efforts to contain the virus.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-18

[Lupatria]

Sounds like there will be a lot of germs travelling around after the Ramadan-Mers-Festival in Mekka...

[Usernames]

And the hospital is . . . I think I can guess.

[JOC]

From the friendly folks who brought you jihad, female genital mutilation, beheadings, suicide bombers, chadors, misogyny and global warming, 72 virgins for killing infidels, and so much more.......a new gift...MERS! You gotta lovem.

The MERS virus originated in bats!!

So according to your wisdom, bats are guilty of all the above.........................

[petedk]

I have a friend who works at the airport and last Friday she was taken ill with high fever, headache, sore throat and body ache. My first thoughts were influenza but in the back of my mind I thought about MERs.

Anyway she went to the hospital and they just said that it was a "female thing and that she needed to sleep more."

Today she feels better and it most likely was a flu, but the way they put it as a "female thing."

Now that MERS is confirmed the health authorities really need to wake up before it is too late. I really hope that this is a isolated case.

[Anthony5]

From the friendly folks who brought you jihad, female genital mutilation, beheadings, suicide bombers, chadors, misogyny and global warming, 72 virgins for killing infidels, and so much more.......a new gift...MERS! You gotta lovem.

A very strong contender for the most ignorant post of the day reward!!

PS. You forgot to blame them for Hiroshima and Nagasaki..............

Hiroshima and Nagasaki aren't in the middle East. Looks like Larry isn't that ignorant.

[JOC]

>>Thanarak Phalipat, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology, said 59 people who were in contact with the patient have been identified so far by the ministry, including health personnel, hotel employees, passengers who sat two rows in front and behind the patient on the plane, and two taxi drivers.<< Quote

Well done Thailand!!

It seems like you have been very proactive in preventing a spread of the virus.

[Guest]

Let ye who is without MERS cast the first stone:

Looks like Farang-a-topia has failed miserably here....

Well, that is Farangness .... what a sad sack of losers.

Where is MERS occurring?

The following 25 countries have reported cases of MERS: Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (Middle East); Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom (UK) (Europe); Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt (Africa); China, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and the Philippines (Asia); and the United States of America (Americas).

The vast majority of these cases have so far occurred in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Guest