Philippines confirms second MERS case

Manila - The Philippines confirmed a second case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) corona virus on Monday in a 36-year-old foreigner who showed symptoms of the disease after arriving in Manila on June 19 from Dubai.

The man was admitted to a government hospital on July 4 and was under observation, Health Ministry spokesperson Lyndon Lee-suy said, adding contact tracing was now under way to prevent the spread of the disease.

The man had also travelled to Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said. His condition was improving and there was no known transmission to the community.

The first case discovered in the Philippines was in January, a Filipino nurse working in Saudi Arabia who survived the disease.