Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL
# 8125
The World Health Organization has just posted a GAR update (h/t @MackayIM & @HelenBranswell) with information on a new MERS case in the UAE – a 33 year-old Health Care Worker who was in contact with an earlier confirmed case (see WHO Coronavirus Update – December 22nd) who has since died.
.
This newest case is described as being hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia, acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia on December 28th, and is currently listed in stable, but critical, condition.
One of the ongoing concerns over MERS is the relatively high number of hospital (nosocomial) transmissions we continue to see, despite presumed increases in infection control procedures. Today’s WHO update once again contains a strong reminder for vigilance among medical staff to prevent transmission.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) - update
Disease outbreak news
3 January 2014 - On 31 December 2013, WHO has been informed of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in United Arab Emirates.
The case is a 33 year-old male healthcare worker in Dubai who was in contact with the confirmed MERS-CoV case reported to WHO on 20 December. He developed symptoms on 27 December, and was hospitalized on 28 December with bilateral pneumonia, acute renal failure and thrombocytopenia. The patient has underlying history of bronchial asthma and chronic kidney disease. The case was laboratory confirmed for MERS-CoV on 29 December 2013. The patient is in critical but stable condition.
Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 177 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 74 deaths.
Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns.
Health care providers are advised to maintain vigilance. Recent travellers returning from the Middle East who develop SARI should be tested for MERS-CoV as advised in the current surveillance recommendations.
Patients diagnosed and reported to date have had respiratory disease as their primary illness. Diarrhoea is commonly reported among the patients and severe complications include renal failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with shock. It is possible that severely immunocompromised patients can present with atypical signs and symptoms.
Health care facilities are reminded of the importance of systematic implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC). Health care facilities that provide care for patients suspected or confirmed with MERS-CoV infection should take appropriate measures to decrease the risk of transmission of the virus to other patients, health care workers and visitors.
