South Korea MERS outbreak keeping B.C. health officials vigilant
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath
A recent outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea has B.C. health officials assessing how they can prepare if any cases of the potentially deadly virus are reported in the province.
"What's most important right now is that we make sure our frontline clinicians are vigilant, are monitoring for travel history in people who are presenting with severe respiratory illness, so they can identify these patients early and protect themselves and other patients in their institutions as quickly as possible," said Dr. Danuta Skowronski, physician and epidemiologist for B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
According to Skowronski, MERS coronavirus likely originated in bats, but found its way into camels in the Middle East, notably in Saudi Arabia, where it has established a niche and is able to spread efficiently within its animal host.
"Sequencing the virus shows it is still very similar to what was detected in the Middle East and elsewhere," said Skowronski.
"The outbreak in South Korea, all of the cases so far, somehow have a link to health care settings, either contact with a case, because they were health care workers or other patients or family members or visitors to cases. There hasn't been community transmission of the virus."
Symptoms include fever, vomiting
The outbreak in South Korea bring the total of MERS cases globally to 1,244, based on World Health Organization data, with at least 446 related deaths.
Typical MERS symptoms reported include fever, cough and shortness of breath, as well as diarrhea and vomiting. The Public Health Agency of Canada's list of symptoms also includes muscle aches and chest pain.
Skowronski says 25 countries have reported cases so far, but more than 85 per cent of the cases are in Saudi Arabia.
"It's not easily transmitted. The health care settings seem to facilitate that transmission because of the closeness of the contact, the nature of the care and frankly how sick people are when they present with MERS to the hospital.
"They are shedding lots of virus and are at their peak infectious period."
While Skowronski says Canadians are at low risk from this virus, she advises people travelling to South Korea to be prudent.
"If you are someone with underlying health conditions and anticipate you may need to use the healthcare system in South Korea, you may want to reconsider visiting for the time being."
To hear the full interview with Dr. Danuta Skowronski, listen to the audio labelled MERS.