Following advice from Qatari authorities, the WHO published a Disease Outbreak News post late last week relating to two MERS cases from late March/early April. The two men, one aged 50 years and the other 85yo, had confirmed high risk exposure to dromedary camels which included consuming raw camel milk in the two weeks before becoming ill. The older man, who had a number of co-morbidities, succumbed to the infection in mid-April. Also this week, the WHO announced a MERS case in Oman - a man whose family farm in the NW governate of Al Dhahira kept animals, including dromedaries. In all, more than 2,500 MERS infections and 894 deaths have been recorded across the globe since 2012 - the majority in the Arabian Peninsula. Read more
Before you travel, call Travelvax Australia’s telephone advisory service on 1300 360 164 (toll-free from landlines) for country-specific advice and information. You can also make an appointment at your nearest Travelvax clinic to obtain vaccinations, medication to prevent or treat illness, and accessories for your journey.