Illinois man tests positive for MERS in 1st U.S. spread of the virus

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Illinois resident who had contact with Indiana MERS patient tests positive for MERS coronavirus

Ongoing investigation of the first imported case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in the United States has identified evidence of apparent past MERS-CoV infection in an Illinois man who had close contact with the Indiana MERS patient. The Illinois resident did not seek or require medical care. However, local health officials have monitored his health daily since May 3 as part of the investigation. At this time, the Illinois resident is reported to be feeling well.

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Reports of the first two confirmed imported cases of MERS in the United States – the first in Indiana on May 2, and the second in Florida on May 11 – have resulted in large-scale multistate investigations and responses aimed at minimizing the risk of spread of the virus. As part of this effort, public health officials are reaching out to healthcare professionals, family members, and others who had close contact with the patients to provide guidance about monitoring their health and recommendations about when to see a healthcare provider for an evaluation. Public health officials also are working with airlines to identify and notify U.S. travelers who may have been exposed to the patient on any of the flights. Efforts are now under way to identify, notify, test, and monitor close contacts of the Illinois resident.

All reported cases of MERS have been linked to countries in and near the Arabian Peninsula. In some instances, the virus has spread from person to person through close contact. However, there is currently no evidence of sustained spread of MERS-CoV in community settings.

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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. Most people who have been confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection developed severe acute respiratory illness. They had fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About 30% of these people died.

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