Thailand: Second MERS case suspected

A machine to scan body temperature at a private hospital in Bangkok. (Source: Reuters)

 A Thai resident who just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Mecca city, Saudi Arabia, is suspected of catching the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), announced a health office in Thailand’s southern province of Yala on October 8.

The 62-year-old man is currently in quarantine and being tested and hospitalised in a special treatment centre within 14 days.

This is the second MERS suspected case in just two days in the country after a 59-year-old woman who lives in Yala, was admitted to hospital on October 6 with the flu-like symptoms of high fever, cough and breathing difficulties.

This year, about 10,400 Thais registered to Mecca and are expected to return to the country by the end of this month.

Most of the MERS cases have sourced from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. MERS Corona virus belongs to the family of corona viruses which also includes SARS which haunted Asia in 2003. It has a much higher fatality rate than SARS and there is no cure or vaccine.

Thailand confirmed its first case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on June 18. A 75-year-old entrepreneur from Oman, who was tested positive for MERS, was successfully treated in Bangkok.-VNA