WHO advices Hajj pilgrims on MERS-CoV

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an interim travel advice on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which has affected nine countries to date.

It provides guidance to national authorities of countries from which pilgrims will be travelling in the coming months for Umra and Hajj for the prevention, detection and management of imported cases of MERS-CoV.

A statement signed by Glenn Thomas of the WHO Communication Unit in Geneva and copied to the Ghana News Agency over the weekend, noted that, at this time, the risk to an individual pilgrim of contracting MERS-CoV is considered very low.

It said WHO does not recommend the application of any travel or trade restrictions or entry screening.

“WHO encourages countries to raise awareness of this travel advice to reduce the risk of MERS-CoV infection among pilgrims and those associated with their travel, including transport operators and ground staff, and about self-reporting of illness by travellers.

“The full World Health Organization interim travel advice on MERS-CoV for pilgrimages to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is available on the WHO International Travel and Health web page: http://wwwwho.int/ith/updates/20130725/en/index.html,” the statement said.

Source: GNA