Correspondence: Ebola Virus Disease in ASEAN Countries
Beuy Joob1, Viroj Wiwanitkit2
1 Phd, Department of Medical Center, Sanitation 1 Medical Academic Center, Bangkok, Thailand.
2 Visiting Professor, Department of Tropical Medicine Unit, Hainan Medical University, China; Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Serbia; Adjunct Professor, Joseph Ayobabalola University, Nigeria; Honorary Professor, Dr DY Patil Medical University, India.
NAME, ADDRESS, E-MAIL ID OF THE CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Beuy Joob, Sanitation 1 Medical Academic Center, Bangkok, Thailand.
E-mail: beuyjoob@hotmail.com
Dear Editor,
The recent report on “Ebola Virus Disease in ASEAN Countries” is very interesting [1]. In fact, the emergence of any new infectious disease can be expected anywhere around the world due to the good transportation system at present. In ASEAN countries, the emergence of Ebola has already been specifically focused. Compared to another new emerging infection, MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), the risk in ASEAN cannot be avoided. MERS cases have already been reported in Thailand and this might imply that the present preventive method to combat the disease from remote setting is still unresolved in ASEAN. For Ebola, its natural history can cause difficulty in early diagnosis. A case of afebrile illness can easily pass the infrared screening, at the entry port, which is a fever screening tool [2]. As a tourist hub, the risk of Ebola transportation to ASEAN seems to be high. In addition, the existence of Ebola group of virus in domestic animals, in ASEAN, also marks the need for preparedness to face the new zoonosis in the region [3].
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