MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONA VIRUS ALERT VERIFICATION IN MIRPUR, AZAD KASHMIR

Authors

  • Mumtaz Ali Khan
  • Muhammad Ishaq
  • Mujeeb Ur Rehman
  • Asim Altaf
  • Mirza Aamir Baig
  • Safdar Rana
  • Jaleel Kamran
  • Muazam Abbas Ranjha
  • Jawad Asgher Rana

Abstract

Background: Middle East Respiratory-Corona virus (MERS-CoV), SARS like virus,
identified in September 2012 in Middle-East. February 2013, an elderly man, who visited
Pakistan and KSA, was confirmed as MRS-CoV in UK. A team visited Mirpur to assess
current and past SARI trends in major indoor facilities, to explore possible contact of the
patient with known or suspected SARI case during his stay in Pakistan and enlist close
contacts. Methods: Review of indoor records in hospitals, interviews with relatives &
physicians and active contact tracing using operational case definition. Results: Arrived on
16th December 2012, mostly stayed at daughter's house, visited by relatives, on 19th January,
left for KSA accompanied by daughter, developed fever with chills and body aches on 23rd
January. On 28th January, arrived London, admitted at City Hospital, Birmingham,
subsequently shifted to Manchester Hospital on 6th February 2013, diagnosed as MERS-CoV,
expired on 19th February. His son having underlying condition, confirmed as MERS-CoV on
13th February, and expired on 17th February. Daughter developed mild respiratory
symptoms, confirmed as MERS-CoV on 16th Feb and recovered. Both have been infected by
the Index case. The review of indoor record did not reveal any significant change in SARI
trends, the cumulative number of cases for the January -February 2012 and 2013 was 291 and
294 respectively indicating no difference. During his stay in Pakistan, he didn't meet any
suspected/ill person. Close contacts were observed and investigated for MERS-CoV, all
remained healthy. Conclusions: The available evidence does not suggest any MERS-CoV
transmission to, or from the patient in Pakistan.
Keywords: MERS-CoV; Transmission.

References

World Health Organization. Middle east respiratory

syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)-saudi arabia. Saudi

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Centers for Diease Control and Prevention. Middle East

Respiratory Syndrome. Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) [Internet].

[Cited: 1 May, 2017 ]. Available from:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/index.html

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) UK Novel Coronavirus

Investigation team. Evidence of person-to-person

transmission within a family cluster of novel coronavirus

infections, United Kingdom, February 2013. Euro Surveill

;18(11):20427.

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Published

2017-03-01

How to Cite

Khan, M. A., Ishaq, M., Rehman, M. U., Altaf, A., Baig, M. A., Rana, S., … Rana, J. A. (2017). MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONA VIRUS ALERT VERIFICATION IN MIRPUR, AZAD KASHMIR. Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, 29(1), 173–175. Retrieved from https://demo.ayubmed.edu.pk/index.php/jamc/article/view/2637

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 1 (2017): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE, ABBOTTABAD

Section

SPECIAL COMMUNICATION

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