CAIRO
Egypt said on Sunday it has taken measures to counter any potential breakout of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), commonly known as coronavirus.
"The measures include raising awareness among citizens on the nature of the virus, ways of infection and how to avoid it," Health Minister Adel al-Adawi told a press conference in Cairo.
"There will also be tight supervision on airports and support for quarantine authorities for early detection of infections," he added.
Egypt reported on Saturday its first coronavirus case.
The Health Ministry said a 27-year-old engineer arriving from Saudi Arabia had come in close contact with an infected person in the kingdom.
Along with Saudi Arabia, the virus, which can cause fever and pneumonia, has been reported in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Jordan and Oman.
The Egyptian Health Minister did not rule out the possibility of a rise in the number of virus infections in Egypt.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians travel to and from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries every year.
MERS, for which no known cure is available, destroys the lungs and kidneys. It is presumed that long-term physical contact can lead to infection.
By Hagar al-Dosoki
englishnews@aa.com.tr
