What is the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)?
■ The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a severe acute respiratory disease caused by the infection of Coronavirus.
■ Recently, there are patients infected by MERS mainly in the Arabian Peninsula of the Middle East and the disease has been designated as MERS; Coronavirus is a new type of virus which could not be found in the human body.
Outbreak Status
■ After the first report of breakout in September 2012, there have been a total of 1154 patients confirmed in 24 countries, including Saudi Arabia, 471 of which have died.
- Most of those patients were from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and the others mainly involved cases of the infection while travelling in Saudi Arabia.
* Nations with disease outbreak: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Yemen, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Malaysia, Philippines, United States
■ Ministry of Health and Welfare (Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention) is paying close attention to the overseas outbreak trends of MERS and response situations of each country; and in preparation for local outbreaks, the organization is now strengthening the immigration quarantine of airport·harbor, operating a surveillance system, constructing a laboratory diagnosis system, and continuously maintaining an international cooperation system.
■ industrial workers / overseas Koreans / overseas travelers / infection prevention rules / PR activities
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If you have any fever or heavy breathing within 14 days after traveling in the Middle East, you should report your arrival to your native country to the National Quarantine Station of airport· harbor and visit the local health office or a medical treatment- related organization.
MERS Hotline 043- 719- 7777
Travelers Health Information Center
http:/ / travelinfo.cdc.go.kr
*Please refer to attached handout