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Person-to-person MERS transmission confirmed in health care settings
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Researchers from Saudi Arabia have documented person-to-person transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, coronavirus in health care settings, according to findings in a report in The New England Journal of Medicine.
In September 2012, the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia requested that patients admitted to the ICU with pneumonia be tested for MERS coronavirus. From April 1 to May 23, 2013, there were 23 confirmed cases of MERS coronavirus. All of these cases and 11 probable cases were part of one outbreak among four health care facilities.
Researchers evaluated the medical charts of patients with confirmed MERS coronavirus and interviewed close household contacts of the patients. They then mapped confirmed and probable cases within the health care facilities, identifying potential exposures. Twenty-one of the cases were linked to person-to-person transmission that took place in hemodialysis units, ICUs or in-patient units. In addition, three cases developed in family members and two in health care workers.
“The repeated introduction of the infection into the community, the ongoing detection of new illness, and the substantial impact of hospital transmission in this outbreak underscore the importance of investigations into the community source of MERS coronavirus,” the researchers wrote. “Without the ability to prevent community infection, prevention of health care transmission will remain a challenge.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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