DHAKA: More than 80 people in Thailand have been exposed to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) virus, the health authorities revealed, as the kingdom rushed to stem any panic from its first such case.

The deadly disease, which was first identified in Saudi Arabia three years ago, has killed 24 and infected 166 people in South Korea since it was detected there last month, although the authorities there said the outbreak appeared to be leveling off.

Singapore’s Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday that travelers from Thailand were not being screened at Changi Airport for Mers symptoms as the country had only one such case and the situation was contained. He added, however, that developments were being monitored closely.

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health revealed that the Mers virus was detected in a 75-year-old man from Oman on Thursday.

Yesterday evening, it said in a press statement that 85 people had come into contact with him.

It was not clear though whether all 85, including a taxi driver, airline passengers and medical staff, have been traced and quarantined.

The man landed in Bangkok on Monday and sought treatment that night at Bangkok’s Bumrungrad International Hospital for a cough, later running a fever.

The private hospital kept him and his relatives in isolation quarters before they were moved to the state-run Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute just outside Bangkok on Thursday.

The hospital called a press conference yesterday, saying it had quarantined 58 staff members, The Straits Times publishes this report on Saturday.

BDST: 1153 HRS, JUN 20, 2015
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