Update on MERS-CoV surveillance in Thai Hajj Pilgrims Department of Disease Control

กองบรรณาธิการ medhubnews.com เว็บไซต์สุขภาพของคนรุ่นใหม่ และ เพจ sasook รายงานว่า  ThaiMedhubnews.com : The Thai Ministry of Public Health has set up surveillance for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus ( MERS-CoV ) infection among returning Hajj Pilgrims.

Each year over 10,000 Thai Muslims take Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In 2017, 10400 were registered for the pilgrimage.

In awareness of reported MERS-CoV infection in the Middle East and the risk of virus transmission during the pilgrimage where millions of Muslims converge for religious rituals,

this year the Ministry of Public Health has implemented preparedness planning for surveillance and control of potential MERS-CoV infection among returning pilgrims.

Before the trip, all pilgrims were vaccinated against influenza and meningococcal meningitis and were oriented to take good care of their health during pilgrimage.

While staying in Saudi Arabia, health problems of the pilgrims are taken care of by a well-equipped medical team from MOPH.

On arrival at the airport, returning pilgrims will be provided health instruction as well as a health beware card.

The pilgrims are advised to show this card to the physician when they become sick within a month of home return, the card will help alert the attending physician on the possibility of an illness contracted during travel overseas.

All pilgrims on return will be closely followed up for a month by local health personnel with assistance of health volunteers. 

(SARI) will be investigated by the surveillance and rapid response team ( SRRT ), and clinical specimens of the ill person will be collected and tested for the cause of illness.

Existing surveillance for acute respiratory infections: which has been developed over the past decade for monitoring SARS, avian influenza, seasonal influenza and pneumonia:

is geared up for detection of major infections including influenza and MERS-CoV, supported up by standard laboratory tests for causative agents. Doctors and nurses have been supervised on the diagnosis and management of severe acute respiratory infections including that caused by MERS-CoV.

These medical staff are stressed on effective patient care and infection control in the health care facilities.

In addition, in each of the 54 provinces including Bangkok where the Hajj pilgrims reside, a senior public health officer is designated as “Mr Hajj” to coordinated surveillance and control of diseases that might be associated with pilgrimage and travel.  

As of 15 September 2017, 289 pilgrims have returned to Thailand. Among theses returnees, 5 were found to have and illness with symptoms defined for investigation.

All these patients have been tested negative for MERS-Cov. For more information, please contact DDC hotline 1422.