Another viral respiratory disease creeps into the country! Doctors suspect that this time it is a Vashi resident, who the first case is showing the symptoms of the Gulf Virus or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus.
The Gulf virus attacks
This is a deadly virus causing severe respiratory illness with a mortality rate of almost 60% The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus is also termed as the MERS-CoV and is a great cause of concern for the Gulf countries. Now the first case of Gulf virus is suspected in Maharashtra. The 40 year old man patient has been kept under quarantine at the Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli.
The man had been to Saudi Arabia for about 35 days and had returned back to India on the August 12th. The 40 year old man developed fever that didn’t break for a week, and he went to a local doctor in Navi Mumbai.
First Gulf Virus case
The patient was admitted to the Ward 30, that deals with infectious diseases, in Chinchpokli’s, Kasturba hospital. On Wednesday the patient had complained of some respiratory problems and showed inflamed lungs indicating a progressive pneumonia in left lung, accompanied by high fever. There was no breathlessness reported by the Vashi resident though.
The patient had been tested for H1N1 and the results had turned out negative, then the doctors suspected his recent Saudi visit and sent his samples for further checking to National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The institute’s report is expected by Friday. According to a civic official “The patient has been started on antiviral oseltamivir.
MERS-CoV
He is responding well to medication.” The man does not have any family nearby and regarding the condition of his health Dr Arun Bamne, the executive health official states “He is not critical and we have kept him in isolation for observation.”
In the year 2012, this virus had shown up in Saudi Arabia. All over the world about 46 people have succumbed to death caused by this deadly viral infection; most of the deaths were recorded in Saudi Arabia.
MERS-CoV generally causes lung infection, breathing disorders, chills, fever, cough, and gastrointestinal illnesses according to global reports.
Gearing up for a treatment protocol the civic body affirms “As of now, there is no clarity on the virus, its spread or treatment options. We only have to treat the patients symptomatically.”
Last month, the Union health ministry alerted all states about the virus though there are no immediate plans to up the surveillance. It is estimated that around 600 people come to the city from Saudi Arabia every day.
