Probable Philippine MERS Fatality ex-Saudi Arabia

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Media reports cite probable MERS fatality in Philippines, ex-KSA.

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MERS-CoV claims first death in PH

(UPDATED) The 63-year-old Saudi male showed symptoms on September 26 and was pronounced dead 3 days later, the Department of Health says

 

Rappler.com

Published 11:10 AM, October 03, 2015

Updated 1:16 PM, October 03, 2015

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MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Department of Health on Saturday, October 3, announced the death of a Saudi national apparently due to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV).

Health Secretary Janette Garin said in a news conference that the 63-year-old Saudi man arrived in the country on September 17 but only showed symptoms – coughing, high fever, and occasional chills – on September 26.

The foreigner was admitted to a private hospital on September 28 but his situation deteriorated, and was pronounced dead on September 29.

"Aside from signs of symptoms, including X-ray results suggestive of MERS, the patient also showed indication of Myocardial Infarction," she said.

Garin said the DOH received the report about the foreigner only on September 29, the day he died.

The health chief sought to ease expected public anxiety over the latest development saying, "It is a contained situation."

Asked if the foreigner is the first MERS-CoV death in the country, Garin said that the case is "extraordinary" as the man was not subjected to a sputum test. She said that until the DOH can "quantify" with other organizations if such is the case, "we are classifying it as a probable case of MERS."

DOH Spokesperson Lyndon Lee Suy said that even while the DOH is doing this, the department believes the foreigner is the first MERS-CoV related death in the country.

Contact tracing

DOH officials said Task Force MERSCoV has started contact tracing of 93 people who might have have been exposed to the foreigner during his travel in the country, 81 of whom have been located.

These include 55 hospital staff, 15 hotel staff, and 3 workers from the funeral parlor who were in contact with the patient.

"All contacts were asymptomatic as of last night, except for 12 health workers who are currently admitted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the San Lazaro Hospital," the DOH said.

Lee Suy said that the 12 workers who displayed symptoms all tested negative for MERS-CoV but will continue to be monitored for two weeks.

"They will be monitored daily for the next 14 days from the time of exposure until they are cleared of a possible MERS-CoV infection. We are doing this to ensure that no one gets infected," DOH officials said.

Lee Suy said that as a safety precaution, the 12 workers would be re-tested at the end of the monitoring period just in case the initial results were a "false negative."

Public vigilance

Garin renewed her appeal for public vigilance against the deadly virus.

"Muli ko kaming nagpapaalala sa lahat na maging agresibo sa pagbabantay upang manatiling limitado and presensiya ng MERS-CoV sa ating bansa….Nagpapaalala po kami sa lahat ng manlalakbay na kumpletuhin ang health declaration checklist or yellow form kapag pumapasok sa bansa," she said.

(I want to remind everyone to be vigilant to limit the presence of MERS-CoV in our country....We wish to remind all travelers to complete the health declaration checklist or yellow form when entering the country.)

She said that those with flu-like symptoms – which are similar to MERS-CoV symptoms – and who have a history of travel to the Arabian peninsula or possible exposure to a MERS-CoV infected patient should go to the nearest hospital.

In July, the DOH confirmed that a 36-year-old foreigner tested positive for MERS-CoV, but was cleared a few days later.

A Filipina nurse from Saudi Arabia tested positive for the virus last February. She was cleared of the deadly virus that same month.

MERS is a fatal, influenza-like illness characterized by fever and cough, often with diarrhea. (READ: FAST FACTS: The MERS Coronavirus) – Ryan Macasero/Rappler.com

http://www.rappler.com/nation/107932-mers-cov-claims-first-death-in-ph

[niman]

Saudi national with MERS-CoV symptoms dies in PH

ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 10/03/2015 12:39 PM | Updated as of 10/03/2015 2:01 PM

MANILA (UPDATED) - The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday confirmed that a Saudi national who showed symptoms of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has died in the Philippines.

In a press conference, Health Secretary Janette Garin said the Saudi national started exhibiting symptoms of MERS-CoV, including coughing, high fever, and chills, on September 26.

The Saudi national was admitted to a private hospital on September 28 and died the next day, Garin said. The DOH received a report about the foreigner only on September 29.

Aside from showing symptoms of MERS-CoV, Garin said the foreigner also showed indication of myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack.

The patient was buried within 24 hours after his death, in observance of Muslim tradition.

What is MERS-CoV?

According to the DOH, the Task Force MERS-CoV has already started tracing those who have had contact with the Saudi national, including 55 hospital staff, 15 hotel staff, and 3 funeral parlor workers.

All of them were asymptomatic, the DOH said, except for 12 health workers.

The 12 health workers are now admitted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and San Lazaro Hospital, where their condition will be monitored for 14 days.

Garin, meanwhile, reminded the public to be vigilant against the deadly virus. -- Report from Johnson Manabat, dzMM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/03/15/foreigner-mers-cov-symptoms-dies-ph

[niman]

DOH: Saudi national dies of suspected MERS-CoV

By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com
October 3, 2015 2:22 PM

Wearing mask to protect from MERS-Cov. File photograph from REUTERS

 

 

InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA - The Department of Health (DOH) disclosed on Saturday that a 63-year-old male Saudi national suspected of having Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) died in the country last Sept. 29.

In a press briefing, DOH Secretary Janette Garin said the foreigner was not manifesting symptoms of MERS-CoV when he arrived in the country alone last Sept. 17 from Jeddah for a vacation.

"The DOH received the report of a Saudi national who developed cough, high fever and occasional chills. These symptoms started on Sept. 26," she said. The patient is known to come to the Philippines twice a month for vacation.

On Sept. 28, the foreigner asked the hotel in which he was staying to bring him to a hospital because he was experiencing difficulty breathing,

Garin said the patient's condition deteriorated, and he died on Sept. 29. Aside from signs and symptoms, including x-ray results suggestive of MERS, the patient also showed indication of myocardial infraction.

He was brought to a private hospital but he died the following day.

It turned out that the hospital alerted DOH about the patient after his remains were already sent to funeral parlor. His body was sent back to Saudi Arabia last Sept. 29.

According to Garin, 97 people came in contact with the patient, comprised of hotel, hospital and funeral parlor personnel.

"At the moment, Task Force MERS-CoV has started contact tracing of the people who were possibly exposed to this foreigner during the history of his travel here. All contacts were asymptomatic, except for 12 health workers who are currently admitted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and the San Lazaro Hospital," Secretary Garin said.

Tests of the 12 health workers so far yielded negative for MERS-CoV infection, but DOH intends to continue monitoring them for the next 14 days, or until Oct. 13.

"We are doing this to ensure that no one gets infected," she said.

Garin said the 81 other contacts are undergoing home quarantine, while four others, including the driver of the private car that the patient rented, could not be located.

"MERS is an illness that is similar to flu, with symptoms that include fever with cough, cold, or sneezing," she said.

"What's important is to report to the nearest hospital if you experience flu-like symptoms and have a history of travel or exposure to persons from the Arabian Peninsula or a possible MERS-CoV infected patient," Garin added.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/118390/doh-saudi-national-dies-of-suspected-mers-cov

[niman]

Saudi national with suspected MERS dies in Philippines

The patient, who had a cough, fever and occasional chills, died in an undisclosed hospital last Tuesday after a two-day confinement, Health Secretary Janette Garin said in a statement.

• POSTED: 03 Oct 2015 16:18

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People walk past a thermal scanner at Manila's International Airport, Philippines. (AP/Aaron Favila)

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MANILA: A Saudi national suspected of carrying the MERS virus has died while visiting the Philippines, the health department said on Saturday (Oct 3).

The patient, who had a cough, fever and occasional chills, died in an undisclosed hospital last Tuesday after a two-day confinement, Health Secretary Janette Garin said in a statement.

The patient's X-ray results also "suggested" MERS infection, Garin said, without providing additional details.

Twelve health workers who had contact with the patient were isolated in government hospitals after they developed MERS symptoms, but they were negative for infection as of Saturday, she said.

Sixty-two other people who had contact with the patient had not developed symptoms, but will be monitored for 14 days, she said.

"We urge the public to be vigilant to make sure that MERS-CoV has a limited presence in our country," she said.

"What is important is to report to the nearest hospital if you experience flu-like symptoms and a history of travel to the Arabian Peninsula or possible exposure to a MERS-CoV infected patient."

Before the new suspected case, the Philippines this year confirmed two MERS cases: a 36-year-old man from the Middle East, whose nationality was not disclosed, and a Filipina nurse who returned to the country from Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia recently reported a surge in MERS infections with 19 deaths last August, ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

A total of 536 people have died of MERS in the kingdom since it first appeared in 2012, according to data from the Saudi health ministry's website as of Friday.

- AFP/ec

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/saudi-national-with/2167726.html

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Saudi citizen dies in Philippines of MERS-CoV infection

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Sat Oct 3, 2015 10:47AM

Filipino customs inspectors wearing face masks waiting for flight passengers arriving from South Korea at the arrival area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila on June 9, 2015. (Reuters photo)

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Philippines health authorities have announced the death of a Saudi citizen in the country due to an infection of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV).

"It is a contained situation," said Philippine’s Health Secretary Janette Garin on Saturday, insisting that there was no cause for alarm, according to a DPA report that said the 63-year-old Saudi national entered the country on September 17 and exhibited symptoms of the disease a week following his arrival.

The Philippines Health Department further stated that the case was believed to be the first fatality in the country attributed to the MERS-CoV.

Meanwhile, the yet unidentified victim was admitted to a private hospital after showing symptoms of the MERS infection, including coughing, high fever and chills on September 28, and passed away the following day.

Health authorities in Manila also announced that a task force has begun tracking 93 individuals that might have been in contact with the Saudi man during his visit to the country. They added that 81 of those being tracked have been identified, including 55 hospital employees.

The file photo of a Saudi man infected with the MERS virus being accompanied to a hospital.

 

According to the officials, 12 hospital staff that exhibited symptoms of the virus had tested negative for MERS-CoV, but will remain under monitoring for two more weeks.

Two other cases of MERS-CoV have so far been reported in the Philippines this year, the report added, noting that one of them was a foreign national and the other was a Filipino nurse that came from Saudi Arabia. Both of them have recovered from the virus.

According to the the World Health Organization (WHO), 15 cases, including one death, was reported in the latest outbreak of MERS-CoV infection in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Globally, the WHO says, there have been 1,432 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including at least 507 related deaths since September 2012.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/10/03/431787/Philippines-Saudi-Arabian-national-MERSCoV-infection-Health-Secretary-Janette-Garin-Manila