MERS in the U.S.

MERS represents a very low risk to the general public in this country. Only two patients in the U.S. have ever tested positive for MERS-CoV infection—both in May 2014—while more than 800 have tested negative. CDC continues to closely monitor the situation.

In May 2014, CDC confirmed two unlinked imported cases of MERS in the United States – one to Indiana, the other to Florida. Both cases were among healthcare providers who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia. Both traveled to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia, where scientists believe they were infected. Both were hospitalized in the U.S. and later discharged after fully recovering.

CDC and other public health partners continue to closely monitor the MERS situation. We recognize the potential for MERS-CoV to spread further and cause more cases in the United States and globally. In preparation for this, we have

• Continued to collaborate with international partners on epidemiologic and laboratory studies to better understand MERS
• Improved the way we collect data about MERS cases
• Increased lab testing capacity in states to detect cases
• Developed guidance and tools for health departments to conduct public health investigations when MERS cases are suspected or confirmed
• Provided recommendations for healthcare infection control and other measures to prevent disease spread
• Provided guidance for flight crews, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) units at airports, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officers about reporting ill travelers to CDC
• Disseminated up-to-date information to the general public, international travelers, and public health partners
• Used Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) methods to sequence the complete virus genome on specimens from the two U.S. MERS cases to help evaluate and further describe the characteristics of MERS-CoV. (See Decoding MERS Coronavirus: AMD Provides Quick Answers.)

First U.S. Case (Indiana)

On May 2, 2014, the first U.S. case of MERS was confirmed in a traveler who came to the U.S. (Indiana) from Saudi Arabia, via London and Chicago. The traveler was a U.S. citizen who lived and worked as a healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia at a hospital in which MERS patients had received care.

• On or around April 18, the traveler began feeling unwell and developed a low-grade fever while still in Saudi Arabia.
• On April 24, the traveler departed Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and traveled by plane to London, England, then to Chicago, Illinois. The traveler then took a bus from Chicago to Indiana.
• On April 27, the traveler experienced increasing fever and developed respiratory symptoms including runny nose, coughing and shortness of breath.
• On April 28, the traveler went to an emergency department of a hospital in Indiana, and was admitted to that hospital on the same day. The patient later tested positive for infection with MERS-CoV.
• On May 9, health officials verified that the patient tested negative for active MERS-CoV infection, was no longer symptomatic, and posed no threat to the community; the patient was considered to be fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

More about the Indiana case.

Second U.S. Case (Florida)

On May 11, 2014, the second U.S. case of MERS was confirmed in a traveler who also came to the U.S. (Orlando) from Saudi Arabia, via London, Boston and Atlanta. This traveler was also a healthcare provider who lived and worked in Saudi Arabia. The case was unlinked to the first U.S. case of MERS.

• On May 1, the patient traveled by plane from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to London, England; to Boston, Massachusetts; to Atlanta, Georgia; and to Orlando, Florida.
• The patient began feeling unwell on May 1 during the flight from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to London and continued to feel unwell on subsequent flights with reported symptoms including muscle aches, fever, chills, and a slight cough.
• The patient continued to have intermittent fevers, nausea, and severe muscle aches while in Orlando.
• On May 9, the patient went to the emergency department of a hospital in Florida and was admitted to that hospital the same day. The patient later tested positive for infection with MERS-CoV.
• On May 18, health officials verified that the patient tested negative for active MERS-CoV infection, was no longer symptomatic, and posed no threat to the community; the patient was considered to be fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

More about the Florida case.

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