SCH confirms fourth Mers case in Qatar

Doha

A 73 year-old Qatari man has been diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (Mers-CoV) infection, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) confirmed.

This is the fourth Mers-CoV case in Qatar this year. The third case, a 29 year-old expatriate employed at a camel farm in Qatar, was announced by SCH on Thursday.

In the latest Mers-CoV case, the Qatari patient is also suffering from an acute respiratory infection. The Mers-CoV diagnosis was confirmed at Hamad Medical Corporation’s laboratories.

The rapid response team of the Health Protection and Communicable disease Control department at the SCH has carried out an extensive search to list all individuals who have had contacts with the patient.

All traced contacts will be monitored over a period of two weeks and those who develop respiratory symptoms will then be screened. The screening process is being conducted in line with the standard case definition of the suspected Mers-CoV cases, based on the World Health Organisation guidelines.

The joint team from SCH and Animal Resources department at the Ministry of Environment is carrying out an intensified field investigation. More information can be had from HP&CDC hotlines 66740948 or 66740951.