MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
什麼是MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a serious respiratory disease caused by a virus called the MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV). It is sometimes referred to as camel flu since camels appear to be a major source of infection for humans. the exact source of infection in camels has not been identified. Camels are believed to be involved in its spread to humans but it is unclear how perhaps by exposure to camel secretions including unpasteurized camel milk. This disease was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and sporadic cases and minor outbreaks have been reported in several other countries in the Middle East. The largest known outbreak of MERS outside the Arabian Peninsula occurred in the Republic of Korea in 2015. The outbreak was associated with a traveller returning from the Arabian Peninsula.
您如何獲得MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)？
Infected dromedary camels play a major role in the transmission of this virus. Camels have been shown to have antibodies to MERS-CoV. Close contact with camels and exposure to secretions from infected camels is a major source of transmission to humans. The virus does not seem to spread easily from person to person. Spread between humans typically requires close contact with and caring for an infected person who is coughing, usually in the family setting. In the past, there have been outbreaks in hospital settings in Saudi Arabia and South Korea when infection control procedures have not been followed rigorously. Its spread is uncommon outside of hospitals or family settings. No sustained human to human transmission has been documented anywhere in the world. Thus, its risk to the global population is currently deemed to be fairly low.
易感性和抵抗力
All persons of all ages are susceptible. Severe illness is more common in persons with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung, heart, and kidney disease. Individuals with weakened immune systems are also at higher risk for getting MERS or having a severe case.
有哪些症狀？
Most people infected with MERS-CoV develope a severe acute respiratory illness with a fever, cough, shortness of breath and muscle aches and pains. There were also frequent gastrointestinal symptoms with diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. However, MERS infection can range from asymptomatic disease (no symptoms) to severe pneumonia and respiratory failure.
預防措施
避免與中東的駱駝密切接觸，尤其是在大多數人類感染已發生的沙特阿拉伯。如果在家庭環境中照顧或接觸患有呼吸系統疾病的人，請徹底洗手，並與咳嗽的受感染者保持約1米的距離。
治療
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for this infection. Approximately 1 out of every 3 infected persons dies from this disease.
通常在哪裡發生？
幾乎只在沙烏地阿拉伯報告了中東呼吸綜合征的爆發和病例小組，世界上80%的病例都發生在沙烏地阿拉伯。旅行者將疾病帶到發生小規模疫情的其他國家，如韓國、阿曼、伊朗、約旦和科威特。多達27個其他國家報告了旅行者的孤立病例，沒有蔓延到社區。
