MERS-CoV: Malaysia's Health Ministry Strengthens Preparedness, Response Activities

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia's Health Ministry (MOH) is strengthening the preparedness and response activities to prevent the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) from spreading in the country. Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said such activities included health screening at international entry points and distributing health warning cards. "The health screening is aimed at detecting people who show signs or symptoms of infectious diseases including Ebola and MERS-CoV. "MERS-CoV screening will focus on visitors who arrived from South Korea and the Arab Peninsula," he said in a statement Friday. He said the ministry had been cooperating with all relevant ministries and agencies such as the Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Tourism Ministry, Transport Ministry and the Immigration Department to strengthen the disease's outbreak preparedness and response. "The ministry is also working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to monitor the situation and to make sure that appropriate prevention and control measures are carried out continuously," he said. However, Noor Hisham said there was no travel restriction yet to countries affected by the virus including South Korea. "But, people who wish to visit countries in the Arabian Peninsula and South Korea must take precautionary measures issued by the ministry at our website www.moh.gov.my," he said. He said on their return from a MERS-CoV affected country, those who showed symptoms such as fever, coughs and breathing difficulties were advised to seek immediate treatment and to inform the doctor of the areas that they had travelled to. They should also avoid close contact with people and wear surgical masks in public places, he said. --BERNAMA