Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): Prevention in travelers

Abstract

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a novel coronavirus that causes a severe lower respiratory tract infection in humans, emerged in the Middle East in 2012. Since then, MERS-CoV has caused an ongoing epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula with sporadic cases imported in Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the United States of America. As of 28th May 2014, 636 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV have been reported to World Health Organization including 14 cases imported by travelers. The epicenter of the current MERS-CoV epidemic is located in Saudi Arabia, where millions of pilgrims travel for two mass gatherings annually. In this review we summarize MERS-CoV cases in relation to travel with focus on the epidemiology and prevention in travelers. It is important to increase awareness of travelers about the risks and appropriate preventive measures and for health professionals to be on alert if a patient with severe respiratory symptoms reports a recent history of travel to the region affected with MERS-CoV. Measures should be taken by local health authorities of the affected countries in order to improve hospital hygiene. Finally, it is crucial to investigate the reasons for travelers' poor compliance with rules and recommendations issued by Saudi officials and to take appropriate measures in order to improve them.

Imported cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome: An update

“…eu/en/Pages/home.aspx) and USCDC (http://www.cdc. gov/) updates, some of which were also reported in the medical literature as summarized recently by Pavli and colleagues [5].…”

Focus on Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

“…Finally, a last series of recommendations focus on how to behave in case of suspicious symptoms: (i) consult a doctor as soon as symptoms occur during travel and delay the return until symptoms disappear; (ii) if symptoms occur with 14 days of returning home, consult a doctor and tell him/her about the recent travel [24].…”

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome - need for increased vigilance and watchful surveillance for MERS-CoV in sub-Saharan Africa

“…MERS-CoV is transmitted through MERS-CoV-infected respiratory secretions for which contact and droplet precautions are recommended. [27][28][29][30] The Korean MERS outbreak highlights that hospitals provide ideal conditions for amplifying MERS-CoV transmission arising from close contact between patients, healthcare and ancillary staff, relatives and other visitors, which enables spread of MERS-CoV. 6,8 It is critical that every country should maintain a high level of vigilance and perform MERS-CoV surveillance according to widely available expert recommendations, [27][28][29][30] whether or not MERS cases have been detected in their countries, it ensuring infection prevention and control protocols are in place at all health-care facilities.…”

“…[27][28][29][30] The Korean MERS outbreak highlights that hospitals provide ideal conditions for amplifying MERS-CoV transmission arising from close contact between patients, healthcare and ancillary staff, relatives and other visitors, which enables spread of MERS-CoV. 6,8 It is critical that every country should maintain a high level of vigilance and perform MERS-CoV surveillance according to widely available expert recommendations, [27][28][29][30] whether or not MERS cases have been detected in their countries, it ensuring infection prevention and control protocols are in place at all health-care facilities. Those who travel must be educated to follow basic hygiene measures 30 Over the past decade, several surveillance systems have been introduced to monitor the emergence of new infectious pathogens.…”