Latest update
This Bulletin was last issued on Friday, 16 May 2014.
There is ongoing concern about the outbreak of Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which was first reported by
the World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2012. Cases of
MERS-CoV have been reported in several countries of the Middle East,
including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab
Emirates.
Other countries outside the Middle East have also reported imported
cases from returned travellers. All cases have either lived in or
travelled to the Middle East, or had close contact with travellers
returning from these areas. There have been no cases in Australia to
date.
What are the symptoms and who is at risk?
MERS-CoV can cause a rapid onset of severe respiratory illness with a
fatality rate of around 40%. There is no vaccine for MERS-CoV.
Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing
difficulties. Some patients have reported a variety of other symptoms,
including muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea. Some patients
have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. Severe cases have most
frequently occurred in people with underlying conditions that may have
made them more susceptible to infection (including diabetes, kidney
disease, hypertension, asthma and lung diseases, cancer, cardiovascular
disease).
Reducing the risk of exposure
Dromedary camels are suspected to be the source of infection for
sporadic cases, but the exact routes of direct or indirect exposure
remain unknown. Person-to-person transmission has been documented,
particularly in healthcare settings.
The WHO advises that people at potentially higher risk of severe
disease due to MERS-CoV should take appropriate precautions when
visiting farms, barn areas or market environments where camels are
present in MERS-affected countries. Appropriate precautions might
include avoiding contact with camels, good hand hygiene, and avoiding
drinking raw milk or eating food that may be contaminated with animal
secretions or products unless they are properly washed, peeled or
cooked.
All travellers should adhere to general hygiene measures, such as
regular hand washing before and after touching animals, avoiding contact
with sick animals, and following food hygiene practices when visiting a
farm of barn in MER-CoV affected countries.
Seek immediate medical attention if you feel unwell with symptoms
similar to MERS-CoV infection while travelling or on your return to
Australia. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider that you have
travelled to a region where MERS-CoV is known to occur. Avoid close
contact with people who are ill with these symptoms.
Healthcare workers
Many confirmed cases have occurred in healthcare workers. The
particular conditions or procedures that lead to transmission in
hospital are not well known. However, lapses in infection control are
known to be important in increasing the risk of infection in healthcare
workers. Therefore, the WHO emphasises the importance of infection
control strategies and practices in healthcare in affected countries,
not only when caring for suspected MERS-CoV patients but also when
caring for patients in all circumstances. See the Australian Department of Health website for information about infection control measures for healthcare workers.
For more information about MERS-CoV, see the following websites:
