WHO MERS-CoV Update – Greece

 

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On Friday night we learned of the first imported case of MERS to Greece (see Greece: MOH On 1st Imported Case Of MERS-CoV).  Today the World Health Organization  has released a DON (Disease Outbreak News) update.

 

While we knew this patient had traveled from Jeddah – the scene of Saudi Arabia’s largest hospital-related MERS outbreak – today we learn this patient had repeated visits to a local hospital (visiting his wife) before falling ill.

 

The link below is a temporary one, and this DON will be moved to a permanent link later today or tomorrow.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update

The following details were provided to WHO by the Ministry of Health, Greece, on 18 April 2014:

The patient is a 69-year old male Greek citizen residing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, who travelled back to Greece on 17 April. While in Jeddah, the patient consulted a hospital on 8 and 10 April for a febrile illness with diarrhoea, and was given a probable diagnosis of typhoid fever. Of note, he regularly visited his wife who was hospitalised from 31 March to 5 April in the same hospital for a confirmed typhoid fever.

The patient sought medical care upon arrival in Greece on 17 April. The evaluation revealed a bilateral pneumonia and the diagnosis of MERS-CoV infection was made at the National Reference Laboratory for Influenza. The patient is in stable condition and is receiving appropriate treatment.

This is the first case of MERS-CoV infection in the country.

Individuals who had close contacts with the case in the plane, the hospital in Greece and in the community have been identified and are being followed up. So far, none of the contacts became ill. Hellenic health authorities issued a press release to inform the population and informed all Greek hospitals on measures that need be taken to identify suspect patients and implement appropriate preventive measures.

Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 250 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 93 deaths.

USGS: 6.0 Earthquake Strikes Greece

Credit USGS 

 

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A strong, relatively shallow earthquake and a moderate aftershock have struck the Southern coastline of Greece, and preliminary reports indicate there has been some local damage and possible injuries.  The towns closest to the epicenter are generally small (3K-5K pop.), and so the damage may not be as great as it might have been in a more populated area.

 

 

When it comes to earthquakes we usually think first of the Pacific’s Ring Of Fire, but Europe has a long history of destructive quakes as well.

 

In 2011,  in A Look At Europe’s Seismic Risks, we took look at some of the devastating earthquakes to strike Europe over the past 700 years, including the quake that leveled the Swiss town of Basel in 1356 and the horrific earthquake and tsunami that struck Portugal in 1755 on November 1st (All Saint’s Day).

 

In December of 2011, in WHO e-Atlas Of Natural Disaster Risks To Europe, we looked at some of the seismic risks to Europe. Also in 2011 (see UNDP: Supercities At Seismic Risk) we saw a report that stated that half of the world’s supercities (urban areas with 2 million – 15 million inhabitants) are at high risk for seismic activity.

 

And more recently, in January of this 2012 (see UN Agency Warns On Global Seismic Risks), the United Nations International Strategy For Disaster Reduction (UNIDSR.Org) issued a cautionary warning about ignoring seismic threats.

 

While we can’t predict where the next earthquake will strike, or do anything to stop it, we can prepare to deal with one when it happens.

 

For good, solid information on how prepare for `the big one’ (even if you live someplace other than Los Angeles), I would recommend you download, read, and implement the advice provided by the The L. A. County Emergency Survival Guide.

While US-centric, FEMA  has an earthquake hazard webpage with a lot of resources that would be of use to just about anyone, including the following preparedness information.

 

Emergencies happen every day.  Disasters, admittedly, less often. But in either event, preparedness is key.