Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS);Understanding the Virus



                                            
 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness that is new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The virus that causes MERS is called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

 Coronaviruses are common viruses that most people get some time in their life.
 Human coronaviruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses. However, MERS-CoV is different from any other coronavirus previously found in people.
MERS-CoV likely came from an animal source in the Arabian Peninsula. Researchers have found MERS-CoV in camels from several countries . We don’t know whether camels are the source of the virus. Studies continue to provide evidence that camel infections may play a role in human infection with MERS-CoV. However, more information is needed.
MERS Symptoms
Some infected people had mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, but most people infected with MERS-CoV developed severe respiratory illness. They had fever, cough and shortness of breath. Others reported having gastrointestinal symptoms, like diarrhea and nausea/vomiting, and kidney failure. MERS can even be deadly. Many people have died.
How MERS Spreads
MERS-CoV is thought to spread from and infected person to others though respiratory secretions, such as coughing. In other countries, the virus has spread from person to person through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person.
                                    
Protect yourself from Respiratory Illnesses
There is currently no vaccine to prevent MERS-CoV infection. CDC routinely advises Americans to help protect themselves from respiratory illnesses by:
  • washing hands often,
  • avoiding close contact with people who are sick
  • avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and
  • disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.
MERS and Travel
CDC does not recommend that anyone change their travel plans because of MERS. The current CDC travel notice to countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula is an Alert (Level 2), which provides special precautions for travelers. Because spread of MERS has occurred in healthcare settings, the alert advises travelers going to countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula to provide healthcare services to practice CDC’s recommendations for infection control of confirmed or suspected cases and to monitor their health closely. Travelers who are going to the area for other reasons are advised to follow standard precautions, such as hand washing and avoiding contact with people who are ill.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

10 World Most Eloquent People

Image
Only the eloquent can adequately describe eloquence. It includes articulation, a mellifluous tone of voice and poise under pressure. To be eloquent is to speak well in a persuasive and deeply thoughtful way. Though it appears to come easily, eloquence does not often come naturally. The most talented speakers often have training in rhetoric and behavioral psychology. Here are 10 great examples of eloquent speakers who have made their mark on the world. 1. Martin Luther King, Jr “I Have a Dream” is perhaps the most powerful speech in American history. In poetic, unequivocal language, he explains how people can live up to their ideals for the sake of their children. 2. Abraham Lincoln In a speech only two minutes long, Lincoln explained the moral justification for the Civil War in his Gettysburg Address. 3. Winston Churchill In a few short years Churchill transformed himself from a burly, unemployed, failed novelist to a leader of the free world with ...
Read more

How lust for girlfriend lured wanted Dimka to Afikpo

40 years ago, after the calamitous coup failed, Lt. Colonel Buka Dimka who played a leading role in the events of February 13, 1976 sought refuge in the arms of an old girlfriend in Afikpo in the then Anambra State. An indigene of the town, Chief Jasper Okoro, a native of Afikpo now in Ebonyi State, a former Editor-in-Chief of Ebonyi State owned newspapers, publishers of the Nigerian Patriot recounts the events of that time and he like many other indigenes of the town would not disclose the present identity of Ugo, the former Dimka flame who is now married. Excerpts: What can you say about the Dimka’s coup? I was a teacher when the coup took place and Dimka and his partners were declared wanted. At that time, the radio kept announcing that whoever finds him should report to the police as some benefits will be given to the person. So, every 15 minutes or thereabout the radio continued to flare the information. Dimka had served as an officer here, (Afikpo) we came back from Biafra and m...
Read more

Muritala’s death was hidden from me for two days – Aisha Oyebode, Daughter

    FIRST child of the late Head of State, Gen Murtala Mohammed, retd, and Chairman Executive Officer of Murtala Mohammed Foundation, Mrs. Aisha Oyebode in this interview provides a rare insight into the life of the late Head of State and the challenges his death unleashed on his wife and children among other issues. What does it feel like 40 years after the demise of your dad? Aisha Oyebode,Muritala’s Daughter Aisha Oyebode,Muritala’s Daughter What I can say is that I am always humbled by his legacy. I also feel humbled when I see the kind of response that people have towards him 40 years after. So I really feel it is something that makes me very proud. At times I realise that he really was visionary because so many things that he talked about 40 years ago are the ones affecting us today. Where were you on the day he was assassinated and how did you get the news of his assassination in a military coup 40 years ago? I was a student at Queens College, Lagos. I was in Form ...
Read more