UK doctors have been warned to watch out for a deadly string of 'camel flu' following the return of football fans from the World Cup.
England crashed out of the quarter-finals in Qatar just this weekend, with reigning champions France defeating the Three Lions 2-1 in Al Khor. With floods of football fans now expected to return home, medical professionals have been warned of a potential outbreak.
Known to be a close relative of the deadly Covid-19, the presented symptoms are very similar to that of the SARS-variant. The illness, which can be picked up by humans from camels and passed from person to person via droplets, was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
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The virus could enter the UK as England fans return home, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) having already warned physicians. According to The Sun, the UKHSA sent out a briefing note which said: “Clinicians and public health teams should specifically be alert to the possibility of MERS in returning travellers from the World Cup.
“The risk of infection to UK residents is very low but may be higher in those with exposure to specific risk factors within the region – such as to camels. Clinicians and public health teams should specifically be alert to the possibility of MERS in returning travellers from the World Cup.”
With 2,600 cases having been reported between April 2012 and October 2022 in 12 Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, experts have warned of easy person-to-person transmission, much like its sister illness that claimed the lives of 180,000 people.
What are the symptoms of camel flu?
According to the NHS website, symptoms include:
- fever
- cough
- difficulty breathing
- diarrhoea and vomiting
The NHS say you should call a GP or NHS 111 if you have symptoms and believe you could have caught the infection – for instance, if you have recently been to the Middle East or have been in contact with someone with a confirmed infection.
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