Warning after passenger found to have deadly virus
SOME passengers on a Manchester-bound flight are being contacted after a fellow traveller was initially diagnosed with the potentially-deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [MERS] virus.
The patient was on a flight from Saudi Arabia to the UK which landed at Manchester Airport last week.
The ill traveller has since been diagnosed with the virus that caused MERS.
Public Health England [PHE] say the overall risk to the general public is very low, but passengers sitting near the patient on that flight will be informed and monitored.
It is only the fifth case ever seen in the UK and the first since 2013, according to PHE.
MERS symptoms range from a fever, cough and shortness of breath to serious respiratory failure.
Some patients also contract pneumonia and around a third of sufferers worldwide have died.
The latest patient’s age and sex have not been released by officials due to patient confidentiality, but they were initially admitted to a hospital in Leeds before being transferred to the Royal Liverpool Hospital, which is an expert centre for respiratory infectious disease centre.
PHE says the patient, who is a resident in the Middle East where they are said to have contracted the virus, is currently stable and receiving treatment.
MERS-Cov, the virus that causes MERS, can be spread when someone is in close contact with a patient for a sustained period of time, with health bosses saying there is a very low risk to the general population of becoming ill.
However, those who were sitting close to the affected passenger on Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV123 – which arrived into Manchester Airport last Thursday, August 16 – will be alerted and monitored in the coming weeks.
Due to aircraft recycling air in the cabin, bosses say only those sitting three rows in front, or three rows behind will be contacted, and those passengers who don’t hear anything are not considered to be at risk.
A PHE statement said: “As a precautionary measure, PHE experts are working closely with NHS colleagues to advise them on infection control measures.
“They will be contacting people who might have been in close contact with the individual to monitor their symptoms and provide health advice.
“This will include contacting a number of passengers who travelled in close proximity to the patient on the same flight to the UK.” Dr Jenny Harries, deputy medical director at PHE, said: “A patient in hospital in Liverpool is being treated for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus [Mers-CoV] infection. The patient is thought to have contracted the infection while in the Middle East before travelling to the UK. “Public Health England is following up those who have had close and sustained contact with the patient to offer advice and to monitor them as necessary. “It is important to emphasise that although a case has been identified, the overall risk of disease transmission to the public is very low. “As we’ve seen in previous cases, we have well-established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed to minimise the risk of transmission.” A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “We are aware of the case which Public Health England and Saudia Airlines are investigating. “Anyone with any queries should contact Public Health England directly.”