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Low threat of Ebola, MERS in Thailand, PBTA told
Jetsada Homklin
While the threat of spread to Thailand is low, Pattaya and
Chonburi should take precautions to prevent outbreaks of Ebola and
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome viruses in Pattaya, a public health
official told the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association.
Benjawan Wijarnpunya, chief of disease control at the Chonburi Public
Health Department, said there have been no reported cases of either
Ebola - which has devastated West Africa - or MERS - which has killed
about 300 people in the Middle East - in Thailand.
Thailand’s chances of seeing an Ebola outbreak is slim, she said, but
precautions should be taken in tourist areas. Already, Thailand is using
infra-red cameras and has placed doctors on call at international
airports in Bangkok, Phuket, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai.
The Ministry of Public Health said earlier this month it had been
monitoring 21 tourists, but none had developed Ebola.
More threatening than Ebola, however, is MERS, Benjawan said. The virus
is circulating widely on the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Saudi
Arabia. Fifteen countries, including the Philippines and Malaysia, have
reported cases, all of whom contracted the disease in the Mideast.
However, there has been no spread of the disease in those countries and
the World Health Organization said last month that MERS’ spread to
Southeast Asia was unlikely.
WHO’s director of communicable diseases in western Asia told a meeting
in the Philippines that the agency has not seen any evidence showing the
MERS can spread easily in groups and communities outside the Middle
East.
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