title: Lack of Transmission among Close Contacts of Patient with Case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Imported into the United States, 2014.
abstract: In May 2014, a traveler from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the first person identified with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the United States. To evaluate transmission risk, we determined the type, duration, and frequency of patient contact among health care personnel (HCP), household, and community contacts by using standard questionnaires and, for HCP, global positioning system (GPS) tracer tag logs. Respiratory and serum samples from all contacts were tested for MERS-CoV. Of 61 identified contacts, 56 were interviewed. HCP exposures occurred most frequently in the emergency department (69%) and among nurses (47%); some HCP had contact with respiratory secretions. Household and community contacts had brief contact (e.g., hugging). All laboratory test results were negative for MERS-CoV. This contact investigation found no secondary cases, despite case-patient contact by 61 persons, and provides useful information about MERS-CoV transmission risk. Compared with GPS tracer tag recordings, self-reported contact may not be as accurate.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Breakwell
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pringle
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chea
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pantones
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sandoval
authors.forename: Lixia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vernon
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Conover
authors.forename: Rashmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chugh
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeMaria
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smole
authors.forename: Susan I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuhar
authors.forename: Lia M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Minal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madrigal
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Swerdlow
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Feikin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016358:Contact Tracing; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065207:Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MERS-CoV; Middle East respiratory syndrome; United States; contact; contact tracing; coronavirus; exposure; global positioning system tracer tags; imported case; infection control; self-reporting; transmission; viruses