The Pattaya Public Health Department educated Pattaya residents on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which has killed 131 people in Saudi Arabia and adjacent countries, but shown no ability to spread outside that region.
Nimit Tanomyat, an expert from the Insect Disease Prevention Center, briefed 165 residents how to prevent the disease, a byproduct of the Coronavirus family that also causes the common cold and SARS in humans. Since May 5, MERS has infected 424 people in 16 countries with only scattered cases outside the Arabian peninsula, all from people who had contracted the disease there.
Nimit Tanomyat, an expert from the Insect Disease Prevention Center, briefs a number of residents how to prevent the disease.
The World Health Organization said in July 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.
Thai officials are not screening people for it entering the country and have not set up any checkpoints.
Nonetheless, Pattaya health officials told locals they should be aware of the symptoms, just in case, as the city gets a fair number of travelers from the Mideast.
Officials advocated good hygiene and warned against drinking camel milk.
