EpidemicsSecond MERS case discovered in U.S.

Published 14 May 2014

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has confirmed a second U.S. case of MERS, the Middle East respiratory virus which has been circulating on the Arabian Peninsula for the past few months. MERS does not transmit easily from person to person, but in the Middle East, it has infected those close to healthcare personnel taking care of victims. Roughly 539 confirmed cases have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO); 145 have been fatal; 450 of the confirmed cases were in Saudi Arabia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed a second U.S. case of MERS, the Middle East respiratory virus which has been circulating on the Arabian Peninsula for the past few months. The new case is not connected to the first U.S. case discovered at an Indiana hospital, but like the first patient, the second is a healthcare worker in Saudi Arabia. The second patient, name withheld, fell ill on a plane on 1 May 2014 on a flight to Orlando, Florida, where he grew sicker and was eventually hospitalized.

Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the CDC, said the patient is doing well and that the “risk to the general public is extremely low.”

MERS does not transmit easily from person to person, but in the Middle East, it has infected those close to healthcare personnel taking care of victims. TheNew York Times reports that roughly 539 confirmed cases have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO); 145 have been fatal; 450 of the confirmed cases were in Saudi Arabia.

A report by the S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) has raised concerns about the spread of MERS, claiming it could be the repeat of a global health crisis like the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus in 2003. The WHO has not classified MERS as a global public health emergency concern, but governments are on alert. Frieden recently asked all American doctors to be “vigilant” about watching for new cases of the virus. For governments, this would mean utilizing current health surveillance systems and increasing monitoring procedures around at-risk populations, ensuring that response mechanisms at national and regional levels are in place.

These precautionary measures are critical to contain the spread of the MERS coronavirus,” said Mely Caballero-Anthony and Gianna Gayle Amul, authors of the RSIS report.

Though MERS has a low potential of being a global epidemic, the probability of the virus spreading globally is high, so tourists, migrant workers, and other travelers should be aware of the virus’ symptoms. Noting that most of the MERS cases are found in Saudi Arabia, precautionary measures need to be adopted to reduce the potential of the virus spreading during the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in October.

The CDC is not considering any travel restrictions or warnings for U.S. travelers at the moment.