Discover more patients infected with MERS in the Philippines

The Philippines has just confirmed a foreign visitor who tested positive for MERS-CoV virus, Rappler Philippine said.

Translation of MERS reaches the Philippines

The latest MERS infection in Southeast Asia is a 36-year-old man who has just arrived from the Middle East .

The name and nationality of the man is hidden. However, the Philippine government confirmed that the patient had traveled from Saudi Arabia via Dubai in the Middle East.

Currently, patients are being isolated and treated at the Philippine Institute for Tropical Diseases.

The Philippine Ministry of Health said patients had symptoms of MERS - cough and fever - from June 2. The inspection was conducted at about 11:30 on Saturday, July 4. Positive test results are confirmed around 5 pm the same day.

Health Minister Janette Garrin said patients are being treated and are likely to recover soon.

'We are watching closely. Patients are in a stable and quite cooperative situation. Not many viruses are infected in the patient's body and he is likely to recover , 'Garrin said.

In order to reassure public opinion, the Philippine Health Minister also identified authorities that are confirming and isolating people who have close contact with patients.

Eight people in close contact with the patient have been confirmed and are currently being quarantined at RITM. One patient was being tested after the woman had a cough, the Philippine Ministry of Health said.

Lyndon Lee Suy, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said the patient had no symptoms of MERS when he entered the Philippines. This explains why body temperature monitors do not work.

Ms. Garin also called on the public to calm down and explain that so far there have not been any cases of transmission of MERS virus from the community.

' We must repeat that there have not been any cases of MERS infection from the community. Infection mainly occurs in hospitals and among people who have close contact with patients, ' Garin said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Ministry of Health organized a rapid response team to track 200 patients on the same flight to the Philippines with patients.

The Ministry of Health also advises citizens who have just returned from the Middle East to the nearest health facility when they have MERS symptoms such as cough and fever.

According to Rappler, this is the second MERS case in the Philippines. The first patient diagnosed with the virus was a Philippine nurse who returned from the Middle East in February last year. The nurse was later cured in the month.

MERS-CoV , also called Middle East respiratory syndrome (coronavirus), was first discovered in 2012. As of June this year, the World Health Organization has confirmed 1,338 cases. MERS infection in 26 countries, including 475 deaths.