ID :
336830
Thu, 07/31/2014 - 11:34
Auther :

Thailand remains on alert against Ebola virus/MERS-CoV

BANGKOK, July 31 (TNA) - The Ministry of Public Health advises people not to panic with reports of Ebola virus outbreaks overseas as its risk is low in Thailand, but the ministry has remained on alert against the disease. In response to the reports that the US Peace Corps has withdrawn hundreds of its volunteers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone due to concerns over the epidemic of the disease in West Africa, the Ministry of Public Health said on Thursday that the risk of the epidemic in Thailand is very small and Thai people should not, thus, panic. However, the ministry's Bureau of the Epidemiology is conducting surveillance and following up advice from the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). Besides, local hospitals have been put on standby and the ministry's Department of Medical Sciences is ready for laboratory tests for the disease. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health conducted an exercise to treat air passengers with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The ministry reported that there have been 853 MERS-CoV patients in 21 countries, most of them are Middle East people and hajj pilgrims and 330 of them have died. So far, no MERS-CoV patients have been found in Thailand, but the ministry has watched out for its presence in Thailand and prepared special health care for Thai Muslims who will do hajj this September. (TNA)

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