This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Caregivers at highest risk for household transmission of MERS

Issue: June 2015

Add topic to email alerts

Receive an email when new articles are posted on

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on .

Subscribe

Added to email alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

You've successfully added to your alerts. You will receive an email when new content is published.

Click Here to Manage Email Alerts

Back to Healio

We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.

Back to Healio

Individuals who provide direct care to family members with Middle East Respiratory syndrome, or MERS, coronavirus are at the highest risk for acquiring the disease within the household, according to a study presented at the CDC’s Annual Epidemic Intelligence conference.

“In spring 2014, CDC disease detectives worked alongside Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health colleagues to investigate an outbreak of MERS in a Saudi extended family, and were able to assess household interactions that may be important for the spread of MERS,” researcher Allison Arwady, MD, MPH, a CDC epidemic intelligence service officer, told Infectious Disease News. “Since then, MERS cases have continued to be identified in the Middle East.”

In the study, researchers tested relatives who cohabitated with or visited affected households for MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV). They used reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) to test for viral RNA and blood tests to detect MERS-CoV antibodies. The investigators evaluated demographic traits for each family member, and their level of exposure to the index patient of each household, and then compared these factors in the MERS-CoV–positive and MERS-CoV–negative adults by calculating risk ratios (RRs).

Twenty-four percent of the 79 relatives tested were MERS-CoV–positive (11 detected by RT-PCR, eight by serologic testing). The attack rate among adults residing in the four affected households ranged from 14% to 64%, while none of the visiting relatives acquired MERS-CoV. Of the MERS-CoV–positive family members, 16 (84%) were male, including all four of the index patients. Eight patients (42%) had comorbid conditions, 11 (58%) were hospitalized and two (11%) died.

The risk factors for transmission within households included sleeping in an index patient’s room (RR = 4.1; 95% CI, 1.5-11.2), changing the index patient’s clothing or bedding (RR = 2.9; 95% CI, 1-8.4) and disposing of the patient’s waste (RR = 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2-8.4). Casual physical interaction, including shaking hands, and simple proximity to the patient (within 1 meter) were not significant risk factors for transmission.

According to the researchers, this finding may be useful in targeting those at highest risk within MERS-CoV–affected households.

“The finding that casual contact did not increase transmission risk can guide resource allocation in future MERS–CoV investigations,” the researchers wrote. – by Jen Byrne

Reference:
Arwady A, et al. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus in an Extended Family: Risk Factors for Household Transmission – Saudi Arabia, 2014. Presented at: Annual Epidemic Intelligence Service conference; April 20-23, 2015; Atlanta.