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Turkey - MoH announces coronavirus MERS death - worker from Saudi Arabia

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  • Turkey - MoH announces coronavirus MERS death - worker from Saudi Arabia

    hat tip Michael Coston

    Saturday, October 18, 2014

    Turkey Announces MERS Fatality – ex KSA




    # 9210


    Overnight ProMed Mail carried a brief reports on a reported fatality in Turkey from the MERS virus (see MERS-COV (38):TURKEY ex SAUDI ARABIA, FATAL, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION), with the following brief announcement:
    MERS-CoV, Ankara, Turkey, New Death
    ---------------------------------------------
    MoH Turkey announced the laboratory results as MERS-Cov positive for a recently dead patient in Ankara. The Turkish-originated male patient, who was an expat in Saudi Arabia, was suffering from respiratory problems prior to his travel to Turkey on [6 Oct 2014]. The patient died in the hospital on [11 Oct 2014].

    A further search of the Turkish language press finds a number of longer, albeit syntax-challenged-when-translated reports on this case. The following (machine translated) report from AVRUPA, indicates this individual was symptomatic prior to arriving on October 6th, and that efforts are underway to contact those he may have come in contact with.
    In Turkey, 'the first death from Mers Virus
    Ministry of Health, the patient returned to work in Saudi Arabia, a Turkish citizen, has announced that MERS died due to virus
    Turkey of the deceased passenger and crew on the plane on his entry to the official Turkish citizens to family physicians, continued efforts to inform the embassies of foreign nationals in the specified statement;
    "Hatay is population registered a citizens for the purpose of work to Saudi Arabia Turkey has died in hospital receiving treatment. The Ministry of public health Authority received the patient sample Microbiology Reference Laboratory according to the result of the analysis in question have been found to carry the virus of MERS. As a result of the research work in patient s. Arabia, Turkey is the last 10 days in advance of the return of the ongoing health complaints were found to be returned to Turkey, and in the history of the 06.10.2014 of the plane after landing refers to a health institution information directly from exception is taken. He is in intensive care with severe conditions, treated the patient has lost his life in the history of the 11.10.2014. Turkey in Ankara of samples taken from the patient, institution of public health Microbiology Reference Laboratory examination of the patient is MERS-CoV 17.10.2014 (today) has been understood. ''
    the statement said.
    Hatay province is located on the border with civil-war wracked Syria, a region where surveillance and disease control is precarious at best.

    As we’ve discussed several times over the summer, the triple threat of exported Ebola, MERS, and Avian Flu this fall and winter has the potential to severely test public health agencies around the globe. All three can present with non-descript viral symptoms early on, and all three require specific (and often difficult to obtain) lab tests in order to diagnose.
    Between the rise in these emerging diseases, and the continued growth of global travel, the odds of any hospital ER in the world seeing an `exotic’ infectious disease – like MERS or Ebola – goes up a little every day.
    While we are being constantly assured that MERS is under control in Saudi Arabia, this is the second exported case of the virus we’ve seen in the past few weeks (see WHO Update On Austrian (Imported) MERS Case), and Saudi Arabia has reported roughly 18 cases as well. Qatar also evacuated a citizen from KSA with MERS earlier this month (see KUNA: Qatar Announces MERS Case).
    While Asia’s avian flu season has yet to take off for the fall, we are probably only a month or two away from seeing outbreaks of H7N9, and sporadic human cases of H5N1 and possibly H5N6 and H10N8.
    Given the number of new subtypes that have emerged over the past couple of years in this region, seeing a new influenza virus reassortant would not be a total surprise either (see Viral Reassortants: Rocking The Cradle Of Influenza).

    As we discussed in The New Normal: The Age Of Emerging Disease Threats, the reality of life in this second decade of the 21st century is that disease threats that once were local, can now spread globally in a matter of hours or days.
    Vast oceans and prolonged travel times no longer protect us against infected travelers crossing borders.
    And despite the media hype over airport screening, we have no technology that can realistically, or reliably detect infected individuals and prevent them from entering a country (see Head ‘Em Off At The Passenger Gate?). And if we’ve learned nothing else from the recent introduction of Ebola into the United States, it is that we have badly overestimated our ability to deal with imported disease threats.
    We live in an age where emerging viral threats may subside for a few months, and fall off the newspaper headlines, but they aren’t going to go away.
    We’ve been lulled into a false sense of security since the last pandemic was relatively mild, and the feeling is they only come around every 30 or 40 years. But viruses don’t read calendars, or play by `mostly likely worst-case scenario rules’ that are adopted by most planning committees.

    The time has come to take pandemic planning seriously again, not so much because of Ebola, but because there’s a growing list of pathogens with pandemic potential queuing up around the globe.

    For more on pandemic preparedness, you may wish to revisit: Posted by Michael Coston at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2014/10/turkey-announces-mers-fatality-ex-ksa.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" title="2014-10-18T06:50:00-04:00">6:50 AM</abbr>

  • #2
    Re: Turkey - MoH announces coronavirus MERS death - worker from Saudi Arabia

    Suspected Ebola patient in İstanbul turns out to have MERS


    A 66-year-old Turkish pilgrim whose health had deteriorated after her return from Saudi Arabia was transferred to Haydarpaşa hospital on Monday and was suspected of having contracting Ebola, but was eventually diagnosed with MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

    Patients receiving treatment at the emergency unit of Haydarpaşa Numune Research and Teaching Hospital, in the city's district of Kadık?y, were transferred to other hospitals after a patient arrived at the hospital with Ebola-like symptoms. Hospital personal equipped themselves with masks for protection and tested the patient, and found her to be instead suffering from Coronavirus, which causes MERS.


    ...


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    • #3
      Re: Turkey - MoH announces coronavirus MERS death - worker from Saudi Arabia

      Epidemiological update: MERS-CoV case imported to Turkey


      22 Oct 2014

      ​On 18 October 2014, the Ministry of Health Turkey reported that a Turkish citizen working in Saudi Arabia died on 11 October 2014, ten days after onset of a confirmed MERS-CoV infection. The case returned to Turkey on 10 October 2014. It is assumed that the case was symptomatic during the flight. The local health authorities are conducting contact tracing.

      Worldwide situation
      Overall, 906 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV have been reported to the public health authorities worldwide, including 361 deaths as of 21 October 2014 (Figure 1).

      Most of the cases have occurred in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon and Iran) (Table 1).

      Between 1 September and 21 October 2014, the health authorities in Saudi Arabia reported 29 cases, 15 of which were in Taif. Twenty-four of them (83%) are male, of which 20 (83%) above 40 years of age. Comorbidities were reported in 20 of the 29 cases. Four cases were reported among healthcare workers. Several cases had contact with animals, including camels, and some reported having drunk camel milk.

      On 20 October, the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia issued a press release about the implementation of measures to control the cluster of cases in Taif, in particular addressing the dialysis units.


      Conclusions

      ? The incidence of cases in September and October 2014 is slightly higher than in July and August 2014. This pattern was also observed in 2012 and 2013. The majority of MERS-CoV cases are still being reported from the Arabian Peninsula, specifically from Saudi Arabia, and all cases have epidemiological links to the outbreak epicentre.

      ? According to the pattern observed in 2012 and 2013, more cases could be observed in the coming weeks.

      ? The latest importation to the EU (Austria) and to Turkey are not unexpected and do not indicate a significant change in the epidemiology of the disease. Importation of MERS-CoV cases to the EU remains possible. However, the risk of sustained human-to-human transmission remains very low in Europe.

      ECDC
      ?Addressing chronic disease is an issue of human rights ? that must be our call to arms"
      Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief The Lancet

      ~~~~ Twitter:@GertvanderHoek ~~~ GertvanderHoek@gmail.com ~~~

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Turkey - MoH announces coronavirus MERS death - worker from Saudi Arabia

        Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/24-october-2014-mers/en/

        Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) ? Turkey

        Disease Outbreak News
        24 October 2014

        On 17 October 2014, WHO EURO was notified by the National IHR Focal Point for Turkey of a laboratory-confirmed case of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). On 11 October 2014, the patient died. This is the first MERS-CoV case in Turkey.

        Details of the case are as follows:

        The case is a 42-year-old male, Turkish citizen known to be working in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). On 25 September 2014, the patient developed symptoms in Jeddah. Initially, he sought medical care in KSA; however, on 6 October 2014, as symptoms worsened, he travelled with a direct flight from Jeddah to Hatay, Turkey. Upon his arrival, he was admitted to a local hospital. On 8 October, he was transferred to the University Hospital in Hatay.

        Public health response

        Additional information about the flight and any contacts that may be linked to the same flight are now being investigated; the health condition of the cabin crew is being monitored. Also, contacts of the case during his symptomatic phase (25 September - 6 October 2014) when he was still in Jeddah are being examined, including contacts in health care facilities in KSA. WHO EURO and EMRO IHR Contact Points are facilitating direct communications between the IHR NFP Turkey and KSA.

        Globally, WHO has received notification of 883 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 319 related deaths.

        WHO advice

        Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.

        Infection prevention and control measures are critical to prevent the possible spread of MERS-CoV in health care facilities. It is not always possible to identify patients with MERS-CoV early because like other respiratory infections, the early symptoms of MERS-CoV are non-specific. Therefore, health-care workers should always apply standard precautions consistently with all patients, regardless of their diagnosis. Droplet precautions should be added to the standard precautions when providing care to patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection; contact precautions and eye protection should be added when caring for probable or confirmed cases of MERS-CoV infection; airborne precautions should be applied when performing aerosol generating procedures.

        Until more is understood about MERS-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immunocompromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERS‐CoV infection. Therefore, these people should avoid close contact with animals, particularly camels, when visiting farms, markets, or barn areas where the virus is known to be potentially circulating. General hygiene measures, such as regular hand washing before and after touching animals and avoiding contact with sick animals, should be adhered to.

        Food hygiene practices should be observed. People should avoid drinking raw camel milk or camel urine, or eating meat that has not been properly cooked.

        WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it currently recommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions.

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