As at 16 May 2016 there have been 1733 laboratory-confirmed cases of the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported worldwide, of whom 628 have died.
27 countries have reported cases but no cases have been reported in Australia.
In this presentation I shall reflect on Australia’s preparations to respond if a case of MERS was to occur here, how we would manage if such a case occurred and what steps would be undertaken to prevent spread of the disease within Australia.
I shall also reflect on lessons learned from the international situation from the perspectives I have gained as Chair of the WHO International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee concerning MERS-CoV, in particular the lessons learned from the outbreak in the Republic of Korea.