Russian female tourist in Da Lat tests negative for MERS

The test results of the 24-year-old Russian woman's sample at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City were negative for the MERS-CoV virus. So far, Vietnam has not recorded any cases of the disease.

A representative of the Department of Preventive Medicine, Ministry of Health, said that with this result, the isolation and MERS-CoV prevention measures for this female tourist and those in close contact will be lifted. The tourist will be counseled and treated for common illnesses according to regulations.

The Russian female tourist had previously arrived in Vietnam after transiting at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates and Bangkok Airport in Thailand. She had symptoms of fever, headache, muscle fatigue, cough, and difficulty breathing and was admitted to Lam Dong General Hospital on June 23 for quarantine and monitoring.

So far, Vietnam has not recorded any cases of MERS-CoV. All suspected cases later tested negative.

On June 24, South Korea recorded four new cases of MERS, bringing the number of patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome to 179, with 27 deaths. Sixty-nine patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Representatives of Samsung Hospital in Korea have officially apologized to the public on television for their carelessness, allowing the disease to spread in the hospital. According to statistics, the number of patients infected with MERS due to transmission in the Samsung Hospital environment accounts for nearly half of the total cases in this country.

According to the World Health Organization, as of June 24, the world recorded 1,352 cases of MERS infection with 479 deaths in 27 countries. Local cases included 9 countries and imported cases included 18 countries; including some Asian countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, China, and Thailand.

According to VNE