The Philippines just endured another new-disease scare, when an OFW newly arrived last week from the Middle East was reported to be infected with MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a potentially fatal sickness. As with other exotic infections (most notoriously, Avian Flu), MERS is believed to have spread from animals, notably camels, that Middle East icon.
Subsequent tests in the Philippines of the OFW, a nurse, and his family were negative, disputing the positive results from tests in the United Arab Emirates, where the OFW nurse was supposedly in close contact with a MERS patient who died of the disease.
The incident prompted the introductory graphic below on MERS, which mercifully has not yet added to the country's cauldron of infections. Hopefully, with precautions, the Philippines will be spared. But to put the scare caused by a single purported case in perspective, the highly contagious Tuberculosis has long been in the country and kills 28,000 Filipinos a year.
See this link for an infographic on MERS virus:
http://www.pinoycyberkada.com/index.php?topic=43550.new#new
