Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia is working with international scientific organizations to improve its response to a deadly new virus that has killed 186 people in the Kingdom, Acting Health Minister Adel Fakeih told Reuters on Wednesday.

“We have been working with respected international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) to develop policies and put in place the necessary arrangements, such as case definition and guidelines specifically for MERS, that are on par with international standards,” he wrote.

“Our commitment is to continue this international collaboration past this current global challenge,” he added.

MERS was identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, which has had most cases although it has also been found in countries including the United States, Britain, France and Iran. A total of 565 people have been infected in Saudi Arabia.

However, the rate of infection has slowed since mid-May. After two days with no new confirmed cases, there were three on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said.

“The country has been strengthening infection control measures and other measures related to MERS and this may be an explanation to the recent lull in cases,” WHO spokesman Glenn Thomas told Reuters.

Fakeih said he met WHO Director-General Margaret Chan last week and wanted to ensure the response to the crisis was addressed by sharing knowledge and best practices.

He said all Saudi healthcare facilities had been given new guidelines this month to combat the spread of the disease.

“This includes guidance on how to deal with suspected and confirmed MERS cases. It also covers advice on how to contain the virus both in hospital and in the community. This will ensure that the healthcare sector across the Kingdom is working with the most updated international standards,” he said.

So far evidence points to camels as a possible infection source, but most cases in April and May have occurred through human-to-human transmission, many of them in hospitals.

“Public safety is of utmost importance for the Saudi Ministry of Health,” he said.

He said the ministry published more extensive information than before in daily MERS bulletins on its website as part of a commitment to transparency.

The ministry has launched a public awareness campaign on social media, television and radio inside the country urging Saudis to adopt more rigorous personal hygiene and take additional precautions with camel products.

Fakeih added that the ministry had set up a center to coordinate its response to MERS that includes experts in infection control, laboratory diagnostics, surveillance, research, training and emergency response. – Reuters