S'gor pilgrim tested positive for MERS

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has confirmed the return of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection following investigations and diagnosis on a 55-year-old man.
In a statement today, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a laboratory test conducted on a sample belonging to the patient from Selangor tested positive for the disease.
"Investigations revealed that the patient had just returned to the country on Dec 23 after performing the umrah," he said.
"It is learnt that he had displayed symptoms such as fever, cough, weakness throughout the body, fatigue and leg pain. The patient then sought treatment from the clinic near his home, where he had received treatment for fever.
"On Dec 28, he came to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR), Klang and was subsequently admitted for further examination and treatment."
Following the discovery that he had just arrived from performing the umrah, Noor Hisham said the MERS-CoV screening test was carried out on him at the Sungai Buloh Hospital on Dec 30.
"The subsequent tests conducted by the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) on Sunday also tested positive," he said.
At present, Noor Hisham said the patient is in a stable condition and has been referred to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for further treatment.
"The patient has also admitted that while in the Holy Land, he was taken to a camel farm, where he subsequently drank raw camel milk and came in contact with the camels at the farm," he added.
The Health Ministry is monitoring the situation on MERS-CoV infections which were reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and has issued a health advisory for pilgrims to take preventive measures against the disease during their stay in the Holy Land and after returning to Malaysia.
"The ministry is presently taking efforts to prevent further spread as well as undertaken containment measures against the MERS-COV infection.
"This includes detecting and monitoring those who had close contacts with the patient such as family members, fellow pilgrims in the same group, healthcare professionals who have or had treated him as well as those who had close contact with the patient onboard the flight he was in," he said.
For the latest information on the disease, the public can check the Health Ministry's website at http://www.moh.gov.my or via the National CPRC (National Crisis Preparedness Response Centre) Facebook page.