The World Health Organization Country Office in the Philippines has been informed by the Philippine Department of Health that the non-national 36 year old male who developed symptoms of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) on 30 June 2015 and had a laboratory confirmed positive result for the virus on 4 July 2015 will be discharged from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila today. His discharge follows two tests, 48 hours apart, which demonstrate that he is no longer infectious. He is now recovering and reported to be well.
Authorities have expressed their appreciation of the case’s cooperation with public health measures. Thirty-six close contacts will remain under observation as a precautionary measure for fourteen days after their last contact with the case, and further contact tracing is ongoing.