THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

Decision No. 2174/QD-BYT dated June 08, 2015 of the Ministry of Health guiding the supervision and prevention/response against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-COV)
Pursuant to the Decree No. 63/2012/NĐ-CP dated August 31, 2012 by the Government defining the functions, tasks, entitlements and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;
At the request of the Director of General Department of Preventive Medicine, the Ministry of Health,
DECIDES:
Article 1. To enclose with this Decision the "Guidelines for supervision and prevention/response against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)".
Article 2. "Guidelines for supervision and prevention/response against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)" is a guiding document applicable in preventive healthcare facilities and the state or private medical examination and treatment facilities nationwide.
Article 3. The Decision comes into effect from the day it is promulgated. The Decision replaces the Decision No. 2002/QĐ-BYT dated 06/6/2014 by the Minister of Health.
Article 4. The Chiefs of the Ministry Office; the Chiefs Ministry Inspector; Directors of Departments, Director Generals of Departments and Directorates affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Pasteur Institutes; Directors of medical examination and treatment facilities affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of the Department of Health; Directors of medical preventive centers, Centers for International Health Quarantine, medical examination and treatment facilities of provinces; Heads of medical agencies affiliated to Ministries/sectors and Heads of relevant units are responsible for implementing this Decision./.
For the Minister
The Deputy Minister
Nguyen Thanh Long
 
 
GUIDELINES
FOR SUPERVISION AND PREVENTION/RESPONSE AGAINST THE MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS (MERS-COV)
(Enclosed with the Decision No. 2174/QĐ-BYT dated June 08, 2015 by the Minister of Health)
I. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a clade A infectious diseases caused by a new member of the group of coronavirus. MERS-CoV was first reported in Saudi Arabia in April 2012. Up to June 06, 2015, WHO has notified of 1,195 cases of infection, including 448 related deaths in 26 countries, mainly in Middle East area and some other countries, including Asian countries. MERS-CoV virus appears to have originated in bats and infected camels, then camels become main virus carriers transmitting viruses to human. MERS-CoV can be transmitted from people to people who are in close contact with patients, mainly by direct contact with infectious respiratory secretions of a confirmed or probable case. The incubation period for MERS is about 2 to 14 days. Infected person may have minor symptoms like fever, cough or serious symptoms like dyspnea, pneumonia, respiratory failure, possibly accompany gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhoea that potentially lead to organ failure, especially renal failure, entailing high risk of death. About 35 to 40 of every 100 people have been infected or died. Some infected people had mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, causing difficulty to the discovery of MERS-CoV. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment recommended for MERS-CoV infection.