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There have been reports overnight of a possible MERS case in Thailand, and in the past hour several news organizations are quoting the Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin as saying the elderly businessman who recently traveled from the Arabian Peninsula has tested positive.
While Thailand’s Ministry of Health website doesn’t yet have a statement confirming this report, there are several high profile (and very recently posted) reports on how Thailand is gearing up for a MERS outbreak.
I’ll keep looking for something more official, but until then, we have this from Reuters.
Thailand confirms first MERS case: health ministry
BANGKOK
Reuters/Chaiwat Subprasom
Thailand confirmed its first case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus on Thursday, according to the country's health ministry.
The virus was detected in a businessman from Oman, the country's health minister told reporters.
"From two lab tests we can confirm that the MERS virus was found," said Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin.
UPDATED: Reuters has an update, indicating that the 75 year-old patient recently traveled from Oman to Thailand to seek medical care for a heart ailment, and that “59 others were being monitored for the virus, including three of the man's relatives who travelled with him to Bangkok”.
