Johor quarantines 64 after first MERS death

JOHOR — Malaysia has quarantined 64 people in a southern village after one of its residents became the country’s first person to die from the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that is spreading from the Middle East, Malaysian media reported yesterday.

The 54-year-old man died in hospital in the state of Johor on Sunday. He had developed a fever, cough and breathing difficulties after returning from the Haj on March 29.

Health authorities yesterday screened around 100 people from the man’s village, Kampung Bintang, to check for more infections, The Star newspaper said. The 64 people were quarantined for a week after showing possible symptoms.

“This is the first such case in Malaysia and we take this matter seriously. That is why we are taking steps to screen the villagers to prevent the virus from spreading,” Mr Ayub Rahmat, Johor Health and Environment executive committee member, was quoting as saying.

In the Philippines, officials yesterday asked more than 400 passengers who shared an airline flight with a man infected with the virus to check in with the health department. The move was a precautionary measure to ensure none of the 418 passengers were infected by the man, who has since been quarantined along with his family. He had returned from the Middle East on the flight.

At least 71 people have died from the virus, out of more than 200 infections in the worst-hit country, Saudi Arabia. AP