The Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday that the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) remains a serious issue with regard to its health impact to the public, though there is a decrease in cases that started in April and that no indication of persistent human-to-human transmission was found in communities.
The conclusion was reached during the sixth meeting of the Committee held on Monday through teleconference and convened by Director-General. Among those who participated in the meeting were three experts and seven affected countries such as the U.S., United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Algeria and Netherlands.
The WHO Committee also generally established that the conditions that would call to raise a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) were not yet met. Regardless, it reiterates that MERS-CoV is still a cause of concern, specifically on the anticipated increase in travels to Saudi Arabia related to Ramadan, Hajj and Umra.
The Committee likewise noted that the latest investigative reports on the health issue strongly support the premise that camels are indeed a significant source of exposure to MERS-CoV in communities.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recently confirmed that the two infected individuals in Florida and Indiana did not spread the MERS virus to any members of their households or to any of the health care workers who attended to them.
“The negative results among the contacts that CDC considered at highest risk for MERS-CoV infection are reassuring,” David Swerdlow, M.D., of CDC’s MERS-CoV response, says in a statement. Still, he adds that it’s important for people to remain vigilant and to identify as well as respond quickly to any possible cases.
Recall that CDC confirmed the cases in May of this year and said these were unlinked. Note, however, that both victims were health care providers who worked and lived in Saudi Arabia, believed to be the place of origin of their infection.
The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia showed that there are 704 MERS cases confirmed since June 2012, of which 289 led to deaths.
The WHO also issued early warnings to those who are traveling to the communities in Saudi Arabia, specifically in terms of coming in close contact with camels, a proven source of the deadly virus.
“As a general precaution, anyone visiting farms, markets, barns or other places where camels
are present should practice general hygiene measures, including regular hand washing after
touching animals, avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth with hands, and avoiding contact
with sick animals. People may also consider wearing protective gowns and gloves while
handling animals,” WHO says in a statement.
Many other warnings were advised by the WHO on the MERS-CoV health issue, including carefully consuming raw and undercooked animal foods, count meat and milk to the list, because it brings a great risk of infection.
