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Ministry issues MERS warning for pilgrims amid haj season
To prevent the infection and spread of the respiratory illness, health authorities urge pilgrims to maintain good hygiene and avoid direct and indirect contact with camels or camel products.
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Some pilgrims participate in a final manasik (pilgrimage rehearsal) in Banyuwangi, East Java on May 18, 2024 before departing to Saudi Arabia on May 25. (Antara/Budi Candra Setya )
W
ith this year’s haj season kicking off, the Health Ministry has warned pilgrims to remain vigilant against potential infection by Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
First identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012, MERS is a viral respiratory disease caused by zoonotic Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The virus infects people through direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels or other sick people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health Ministry surveillance and health quarantine director Achmad Fachanny Tri Adryanto urged pilgrims to maintain good hygiene and minimize contact with camels by, among other measures, avoiding visiting camel farms or consuming undercooked camel meat or milk.
“If you ride a camel or touch it, wash your hands with soap or clean your hands with hand sanitizer afterward immediately,” Achmad said in a statement published on Thursday.
He also advised Muslims going on haj to wear face masks in crowded places, get enough sleep and visit the Indonesian haj healthcare center immediately if feeling ill or experiencing any MERS symptoms.
Among the typical symptoms of the illness are fever, coughing and shortness of breath, while pneumonia and gastrointestinal conditions, such as diarrhea, are also reported in some cases.
Around 35 percent of cases reported to the United Nations health body proved fatal.
