No MERS case in Turkey yet

ANKARA

In this photo provided by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a colorized transmission of the MERS coronavirus that emerged in 2012 is pictured. AP Photo

The Middle East coronavirus (MERS), which caused deaths in some European countries and in some Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, doesn’t exist in Turkey, the Health Ministry announced on July 12.

The SARS-like coronavirus disease destroys lungs and kidneys. It is understood that the virus, which collapses the immune system, can be contagious by prolonged close contact. There is no antibiotic treatment or preventative inoculation against this virus, as there isn’t yet enough information about its source.

According to the information provided by the Health Ministry, the samples taken from the 150 suspected people in Turkey turned out to be negative, and there weren’t any positive cases at the moment, Anadolu agency reported. Ministry authorities told Anadolu that the developments related to the virus throughout the world were being followed and precautions had already been taken against the risk of it spreading to Turkey.

The new coronavirus emerged in Saudi Arabia in April 2012. Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have reported laboratory-confirmed cases, as well as Tunisia, Britain, France, Germany and Italy among travelers returning from the Middle East.