‘Stay Away from Young Camels’
RIYADH: Senior official of the Ministry of Health warned people that young camels are likely to carry the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) during the current season.
“Winter, especially the months of December and January, is the period when young camels shed the virus which could attack humans in their vicinity,” Deputy Health Minister for Public Health Abdul Aziz bin Saeed told Arab News on Sunday. He added that the ministry expects an increase in the infection during the season. But, he said, it could be curtailed through precautions taken by humans.
The deputy minister recalled that last month, the ministry conducted a survey of 160 camels in Jeddah and 50 of the juvenile camels were found to be carrying the virus. “This is a dangerous situation, where people could easily be affected unless they take suitable precautions,” he added.
“We presume that this is the situation among camels in other parts of the Kingdom too,” he noted, urging people everywhere to take the maximum precaution against the virus which has already affected 1,275 people in the Kingdom since June 2012.
Of the MERS cases reported in the Kingdom since 2012, the MoH has reported 551 deaths and currently five patients are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.
During the past 15 days, the ministry has reported only two new cases of infection.
Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all member states to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections and to carefully review any unusual patterns.