Kotabaru, S.Kalimantan, June 15 (Antara) - The Kotabaru Seaport Health Office, South Kalimantan Province, is tightening its examination procedures for crew members of cargo ships arriving from neighboring countries to anticipate the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
The examination is conducted before the foreign cargo ships load and unload their goods at the port, Coordinator of the Kotabaru Seaport Health Office Abdul Samad stated here on Monday.
"The first examination is checking the body temperature of the crew members. If the body temperature of a crew member is above 38 degrees Celsius, the ship will not be allowed to dock, and further investigations will be conducted," Samad revealed.
About 35 cargo ships are docked at the port.
So far, the seaport`s Health Office has found no crew member showing signs of MERS-CoV.
The clinical symptoms of MERS-CoV in general are fever, acute respiratory distress, pneumonia symptoms, and sometimes, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea.
The high-risk groups are the elderly over 60 years of age, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart, and respiratory diseases, and individuals with immunocompromised systems.
MERS is a viral respiratory illness that is new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States.
MERS was found in South Korea in late May when a patient who tested positive for the disease infected two others.
Of the 50 MERS cases reported in South Korea, 33 are patients, visitors, and medical staff members of the hospital where the first case was found.
