This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
CDC: 956 MERS cases confirmed since September 2012
As of Jan. 23, there have been 956 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, coronavirus, including 351 deaths since it was first discovered in September 2012, according to a report in MMWR.
All of the cases have been linked directly or indirectly to travel or residence in nine countries: Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Two patients in the United States tested positive for the disease in May 2014 after traveling to Saudi Arabia.
Most of the cases (n=504) occurred from March to May 2014. The WHO continues to receive reports of cases. From Aug. 1, 2014 to Jan. 23, there were 102 confirmed cases, of which 97 were among people with residences in Saudi Arabia. The other five cases were in Oman and Qatar.
The CDC recommends US travelers to the Arabian Peninsula protect themselves from MERS and other respiratory diseases by washing their hands frequently and avoiding contact with ill persons. Travelers who experience fever and respiratory symptoms within 14 days of returning to the US should seek medical care.
“Health care providers and health departments throughout the United States should continue to consider a diagnosis of MERS coronavirus infection in persons who develop fever and respiratory symptoms within 14 days after traveling from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula, and be prepared to detect and manage cases of MERS,” CDC officials wrote.