Vachira Phuket monitors two patients under MERS investigation

Vachira Phuket Hospital is monitoring two patients who meet the criteria for investigation for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), with test results pending, according to the hospital’s Week 43 report covering 19-25 October 2026.

The patients are one man and one woman. The report listed no confirmed MERS cases or MERS-related deaths. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office had not issued an announcement about the two cases.

MERS is a respiratory illness caused by MERS-CoV, which was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The virus can spread from infected camels or their bodily secretions, while close contact with an infected person can also result in transmission. Symptoms can include fever, coughing, breathing difficulties, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue.

Vachira Phuket Hospital said it had implemented disease surveillance and public education measures concerning MERS.

The hospital also recorded 272 patients with other communicable diseases under surveillance during the same week: 191 in Mueang Phuket District, 41 in Thalang, 36 in Kathu and four from other provinces. Two deaths were recorded, with one attributed to pneumonia and the other to melioidosis.

Influenza was the most frequently reported infection, with 96 cases, followed by acute diarrhoea with 72 and pneumonia with 33. The figures also included 12 COVID-19 cases and 11 cases listed under SARS-CoV-2/respiratory syncytial virus.

People experiencing symptoms of infectious diseases can contact Vachira Phuket Hospital on 076-361234. For 24-hour emergency assistance, call 1669.