Doctor helps hospitals in Middle East, US to prepare for MERS.

Doctor helps hospitals in Middle East, US to prepare for MERS.(Croft).

Report from Georgetown University: Doctor Helps Hospitals in the Middle East and U.S. Prepare for MERS. Excerpt:

A Georgetown expert on global viral outbreaks is helping health departments and hospitals in the Middle East and the United States prepare to fight a new deadly virus before millions of Muslims travel to Mecca in October. 

Dr. Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease and public health physician, and an adjunct professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC), left for the Middle East on July 4 to help respond to Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS). 

“MERS is SARS until proven otherwise – and it is much more lethal so far in hospitalized patients,” Lucey says, referring to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which he worked on in the early 2000s. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July 2 MERS has killed almost 55 percent of its 62 victims in Saudi Arabia, and infected a total of 77 people in eight countries, killing 40 people (64 percent) who contracted the virus. 

IDEAL BREEDING GROUND 

No cases have been reported in the United States, but a few have been in France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. 

Of particular concern in Saudi Arabia is the time between Ramadan, which starts July 9 through the Muslim Hajj in mid-October. 

“The Hajj is the world’s largest annual pilgrimage, when more than 3 million Muslims make there way to Mecca in Saudi Arabia,” Lucey says. 

ENHANCED SURVEILLANCE 

Lucey’s expertise on SARS, MERS and other infectious diseases has led him to travel to five countries – Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and France – since April to give lectures and work with hospitals on infection control. 

“This disease represents a significant public health risk under the International Health Regulations …,” the World Health Organization stated in a May 28 press release. “WHO has issue recommendations for enhanced surveillance and precautions for the testing and management of suspected cases, and is working closely with countries and international partners.”

Related:  India: Government indifference to MERS puts airlines in a fix

Over a thousand passengers arrive in Mumbai every day from the Gulf states, including several Umrah pilgrims who return from their Umrah to Saudi Arabia, which has seen the highest number of deaths due to MERS till now. Air India alone flies 600 passengers from Jeddah and Riyadh everyday. Umrah pilgrims fly back after spending 14 days in camps in the United Arab Emirates. 

"Most of the poor subsidised pilgrims fly Air India as it is the official carrier," said an airline official who did not want to be named. "Since they are travelling on a subsidy their camps are not very hygienic. Air India crew, thus, are at the highest risk. But neither the airline nor the government has taken any steps to address this issue."