A FILIPINO was confirmed to have been infected with the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
Citing reports from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said that the Filipino contracted the MERS-CoV from his wife who worked in a hospital in Riyadh.
The wife, who remained unidentified, got contracted with MERS-CoV before the husband.
"It was the wife who got first the MERS-CoV. She was confined in the hospital, she got well, then she returned home. After a few days, the husband was infected," Jose said.
The Filipino is now confined in a hospital and "he's getting the proper treatment."
Meanwhile, Jose said there are no reports yet of Filipinos being affected by MERS-CoV in South Korea, where 150 cases have been reported, with 16 fatalities.
The outbreak, the largest outside Saudi Arabia, was caused by a single infected traveler, who was able to enter the country, last month.
Jose said the Philippine Embassy in Seoul "is monitoring the situation there" and they continue to keep in touch with the Filipino community.
The embassy also came out with an advisory reminding the Filipino community "to take precautionary measures to avoid infection."
Symptoms of the disease include persistent coughing and high fever. (CVB/Sunnex)