First confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the United States, updated information on the epidemiology of MERS-CoV infection, and guidance for the public, clinicians, and public health authorities - May 2014.
Since mid-March 2014, the frequency with which cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection have been reported has increased, with the majority of recent cases reported from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In addition, the frequency with which travel-associated MERS cases have been reported and the number of countries that have reported them to the World Health Organization (WHO) have also increased. The first case of MERS in the United States, identified in a traveler recently returned from Saudi Arabia, was reported to CDC by the Indiana State Department of Health on May 1, 2014, and confirmed by CDC on May 2. A second imported case of MERS in the United States, identified in a traveler from Saudi Arabia having no connection with the first case, was reported to CDC by the Florida Department of Health on May 11, 2014. The purpose of this report is to alert clinicians, health officials, and others to increase awareness of the need to consider MERS-CoV infection in persons who have recently traveled from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula. This report summarizes recent epidemiologic information, provides preliminary descriptions of the cases reported from Indiana and Florida, and updates CDC guidance about patient evaluation, home care and isolation, specimen collection, and travel as of May 13, 2014.
Stephanie R
SR
Bialek
Donna
D
Allen
Francisco
F
Alvarado-Ramy
Ray
R
Arthur
Arunmozhi
A
Balajee
David
D
Bell
Susan
S
Best
Carina
C
Blackmore
Lucy
L
Breakwell
Andrew
A
Cannons
Clive
C
Brown
Martin
M
Cetron
Nora
N
Chea
Christina
C
Chommanard
Nicole
N
Cohen
Craig
C
Conover
Antonio
A
Crespo
Jeanean
J
Creviston
Aaron T
AT
Curns
Rebecca
R
Dahl
Stephanie
S
Dearth
Alfred
A
DeMaria
Fred
F
Echols
Dean D
DD
Erdman
Daniel
D
Feikin
Mabel
M
Frias
Susan I
SI
Gerber
Reena
R
Gulati
Christa
C
Hale
Lia M
LM
Haynes
Lea
L
Heberlein-Larson
Kelly
K
Holton
Kashef
K
Ijaz
Minal
M
Kapoor
Katrin
K
Kohl
David T
DT
Kuhar
Alan M
AM
Kumar
Marianne
M
Kundich
Susan
S
Lippold
Lixia
L
Liu
Judith C
JC
Lovchik
Larry
L
Madoff
Sandra
S
Martell
Sarah
S
Matthews
Jessica
J
Moore
Linda R
LR
Murray
Shauna
S
Onofrey
Mark A
MA
Pallansch
Nicki
N
Pesik
Huong
H
Pham
Satish
S
Pillai
Pam
P
Pontones
Kimberly
K
Pringle
Scott
S
Pritchard
Sonja
S
Rasmussen
Shawn
S
Richards
Michelle
M
Sandoval
Eileen
E
Schneider
Anne
A
Schuchat
Kristine
K
Sheedy
Kevin
K
Sherin
David L
DL
Swerdlow
Jordan W
JW
Tappero
Michael O
MO
Vernon
Sharon
S
Watkins
John
J
Watson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East; D010356:Patient Isolation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011635:Public Health Administration; D014195:Travel; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult