The health ministry in Spain confirmed the first case of MERS in the country from a female who arrived from Saudi Arabia.
According to the latest count of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus has infected 149 people with 63 fatalities as of end of October. Most people die of the complications such renal failure and pneumonia. The first week symptoms of the infection include fever, cough, and shortness of breath before it fully kicks after 12 days of incubation. Unfortunately, no cure has been made yet thought scientists claimed that they have identified the source of the virus. WHO had declared the virus “a threat to entire world.”
According to a CBS report, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has released a statement Friday confirming that the 61-year old Spanish-Moroccan resident was admitted in Nov. 1 to a hospital in Madrid. She was diagnosed with pneumonia in Saudi Arabia October before she went back to Spain.
Fortunately, the patient is responding very well to the treatment and her condition doesn’t is unlikely to affect the public.
Despite the Spanish health ministry’s affirmation that the patient does not pose risk to the public, international health officials would want to make sure that this does not happen elsewhere. They worry that people who have joined the haj pilgrims in October who have returned home might be carriers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Spanish health officials are now looking for the passengers of seated two rows from the patient for examinations. However, they wish to keep the details of the flight confidential and will just contact the airline.
The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health announced October that there were no recorded cases of MERS infection no recorded cases of MERS infection in the haj pilgrim. However, the woman claimed that she was one of the participants in the event. When she started feeling sick, she immediately went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was also given clearance to fly back to Spain. The Saudi hospital has not yet confirmed if the woman had been there.
