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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
(MERS)

「Management and Response for MERS infection」 is to identify early detection of suspected MERS infection and manage it to prevent transmission in communities and hospitals.

Background

In 2015, there were 186 confirmed cases and 38 deaths due to the occurrence of MERS outbreak of the Republic of Korea. This was an infection caused by a limited spread, especially in case of foreign inflows and hospitals.

Overview

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention maintains a monitoring and surveillance system throughout the MERS countermeasures and emergency operation center(EOC) in order to prevent the spread of infection and early detect of suspected case by influx in overseas countries.

Case definition

The definitions of suspected cases in the MERS surveillance system in Republic of Korea are as follows.

• 1. Those who develop fever and respiratory symptoms(cough, shortness of breath, and others associated with pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome) with
  • a history of travel from countries in the Middle East* within 14 days before symptom onset within 14 days before symptom onset
  • close contact with a suspected MERS patient showing symptoms
• 2. Those who develop fever or respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, etc.) or diarrhae who was in close contact with a confirmed MERS patient showing symptoms

  Including countries or regions in or near the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Quarantine

• Special quarantine service will be provided to foreign tourists arriving from the Middle east area.
• Require the submission of a physical condition questionnaire to a quarantine officer upon entering any contamination areas (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Physical condition questionnaire

Isolation

• Any person who complies with the MERS suspected case is immediately transferred to a nationally designated hospital and isolated.
• The MERS diagnostic test collects the upper and lower respiratory specimens.
• The isolation can be released according to test result is negative.
• All medical costs related to the isolation of MERS are fully supported by the nation.

Monitoring and Surveillance

Figure2. Number of notification and patients under investigation (PUIs) of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection by week, 2018
* Haji : Both during and returning from Haji travel

What you need to know about MERS

If you have fever and respiratory symptoms including cough or shortness of breath within 14days after travelling from countries in the Middle East, you should call to the Korea CDC Call Center 1339 before you visit clinics or hospitals and follow their instruction.

What you neeed to know about MERS

What is MERS?

MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, is an acute respiratory illness caused by a newly discoveredstrain of coronavius, MERS-CoV.

• Sings and Symptoms : fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, vomiting, diarhea
• Incubation preriod : form 2 to 14 days

What to do to prevent infection?

• Frequently wash your hands width soap and water.
• Maintain good personal hygiene-Wash your hands before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth with a tissue and dispose it afterward.
• Avoid contact with sick persons especially width fever or respiratory symptoms.
• Avoid contact width camels while traveling inthe Middle East.

How does MERS spread?

• Contact width a camel
• Raw camelmilk intake
• Having direct or close contact width a MERS patient

Who should repart?

Who is suspected of having MERS-CoV infection?

• Those who deelop fever and respiratory symptoms(cough, shortness of breath, and others associated with pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome) width : a history of tarvel form countries in thMiddle Eastwidth in 14 days before symptom onset, close contact width a suspected MERS patient showing symptoms
• Those woh deelop fever or respiartory symptoms(cough, shortness of breath, etc.) who was in close contact with a confirmed MERS patient showing symptoms
• * Includingcountries or regions in or near the Aravian Peninsula: Bahrain, Iraq Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,Yemen(Countries width reported MERS outbreaks as of 2016, which include Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait require the submission of a physical condition questionnaire to a quarantine officer upon entering any contamination areas of quarantined infectious diseases.)