|
 The 75-year-old man, who had traveled to Bangkok for treatment for a
heart condition and was then diagnosed with the virus, will remain
in quarantine for the time being.
"In the last test results we did not find the MERS virus in the
patient," Surachet Satitramai, acting permanent secretary at the
Public Health Ministry, told Reuters.
"His condition is much better but we still need to see if his other
health conditions, including his heart condition, will have any
effect on his recovery."
He said three of the man's relatives who traveled with him to
Thailand were also free of the virus. Thailand's health ministry is
still monitoring 36 people who were exposed to its single patient.
Thailand confirmed its first case of MERS earlier this month,
becoming the fourth Asian country to register the virus this year.
In South Korea, which is battling the largest MERS outbreak outside
Saudi Arabia, 31 people have died from the virus. South Korea's
public health ministry reported one new case on Friday, taking the
total to 181.
Health authorities have said the virus may have leveled off but were
more guarded in their assessment last week.
Thailand's status as a hub for medical tourism could be helping it
contain the spread of MERS, government and health officials said
last week.
[to top of second column] |
First identified in humans in 2012, MERS is caused by a corona virus
from the same family as the one that triggered the 2003 outbreak of
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
There is no cure or vaccine.
(Reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Writing
by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Paul Tait)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
