Suspected MERS patient transported to Bratislava Hospital

A patient suspected of having Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been transported from Zilina to a specialised facility at Bratislava University Hospital, confirmed Slovak Health Ministry spokesperson Peter Bubla on Saturday.

Bubla specified that the individual showing symptoms of the disease is a 39-year-old foreign national.

The spokesman added that the suspicion that the patient has been infected by MERS hasn't been confirmed yet, with the patient' s samples having been sent to laboratories in Prague. Results of the testing should be known within 24 hours.

The Slovak Public Health Authority along with the police are carrying out all due measures, searching for individuals who might have come in contact with the patient. "General anti-epidemic measures in Slovakia also include the preparation for scenarios involving potential virulent infections," stressed Bubla.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory illness that belongs to the family of coronaviruses. Symptoms are similar to those of flu and lead toward a gradual kidney failure and severe pneumonia. Enditem