Notification issued to check Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: With an alert issued by the Government of India, government hospitals and airport authorities in the city have been asked to check people who are coming from Gulf regions for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

The alert has come in the wake of the spread of the disease to South Korea where two deaths were reported by the ministry of health and family welfare.

With the World Health Organisation stating that the disease is “large and complex”, precautionary measures are being taken and all states have been asked to implement the same.
Dr K. Narsimulu, nodal officer at Gandhi Hospital said, “A team of health workers and doctors have been trained to check the history of those coming from the Middle East region. If they have cold or flu like symptoms, details will be taken for following up with them.”

MERS, which is also a respiratory disease, spreads through air and hence there is a concern that patients must be identified and isolated.

The human-to-human contamination through air is a cause of concern, stated experts.