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. 2017 Aug 17;22(33):30598.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.33.30598.

Imported case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection from Oman to Thailand, June 2015

Tanarak Plipat  1 , Rome Buathong  1 , Supaporn Wacharapluesadee  2 , Potjaman Siriarayapon  1 , Chakrarat Pittayawonganon  1 , Chariya Sangsajja  3 , Thongchai Kaewpom  2 , Sininat Petcharat  2 , Teerada Ponpinit  2 , Jaruphan Jumpasri  2 , Yutthana Joyjinda  2 , Apaporn Rodpan  2 , Siriporn Ghai  2 , Akanitt Jittmittraphap  2   4 , Sarawut Khongwichit  5 , Duncan R Smith  5 , Victor M Corman  6   7 , Christian Drosten  6   7 , Thiravat Hemachudha  2
Affiliations

Imported case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection from Oman to Thailand, June 2015

Tanarak Plipat et al. Euro Surveill. .

Abstract

Thailand reported the first Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) case on 18 June 2015 (day 4) in an Omani patient with heart condition who was diagnosed with pneumonia on hospital admission on 15 June 2015 (day 1). Two false negative RT-PCR on upper respiratory tract samples on days 2 and 3 led to a 48-hour diagnosis delay and a decision to transfer the patient out of the negative pressure unit (NPU). Subsequent examination of sputum later on day 3 confirmed MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. The patient was immediately moved back into the NPU and then transferred to Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute. Over 170 contacts were traced; 48 were quarantined and 122 self-monitored for symptoms. High-risk close contacts exhibiting no symptoms, and whose laboratory testing on the 12th day after exposure was negative, were released on the 14th day. The Omani Ministry of Health (MOH) was immediately notified using the International Health Regulation (IHR) mechanism. Outbreak investigation was conducted in Oman, and was both published on the World Health Organization (WHO) intranet and shared with Thailand's IHR focal point. The key to successful infection control, with no secondary transmission, were the collaborative efforts among hospitals, laboratories and MOHs of both countries.

Keywords: MERS; MERS-CoV; Thailand; contact tracing; diagnostic; imported case.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Timeline of events for the first imported case of MERS in Thailand, Thailand and Oman, May–July 2015
Figure 2
Figure 2
Maximum-likelihood phylogeny of representative MERS-CoV genomes and the complete MERS-CoV genome obtained for this study, first imported case of MERS in Thailand, June 2015
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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