Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

MERS may have spread from person to person in US

NEW YORK — Health officials reported on Saturday what appears to be the first time that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has spread from one person to another in the United States, raising the number of infected cases in the US to three.

Particles of the MERS virus. An Illinois man probably picked up an infection from the first infected person in the US. However, the Illinois man never showed any symptoms. PHOTO: REUTERS

Particles of the MERS virus. An Illinois man probably picked up an infection from the first infected person in the US. However, the Illinois man never showed any symptoms. PHOTO: REUTERS

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

NEW YORK — Health officials reported on Saturday what appears to be the first time that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has spread from one person to another in the United States, raising the number of infected cases in the US to three.

The Illinois man probably picked up an infection from an Indiana man, who earlier this month became the first US case of MERS. The Illinois man, however, never showed any symptoms or needed medical treatment and is reported to be feeling well, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

His lack of symptoms may shed light on milder forms of the deadly virus, which emerged in the Middle East in 2012 and has infected more than 500 people in Saudi Arabia alone. It killed about 30 per cent of those who were infected.

The two men met twice before the Indiana man fell ill and was hospitalised in Munster, Indiana, shortly after travelling from Saudi Arabia, where he lived and was employed as a healthcare worker. Health officials said they think the virus spread during a 40-minute business meeting that involved no more contact than a handshake.

Since the first man’s diagnosis, health officials have been monitoring and testing anyone who was in close contact with him, including healthcare workers and members of his household, but none of them have tested positive for the virus.

A blood test on Friday showed the Illinois resident had developed antibodies to MERS. CDC officials explained that the blood test is not sufficient to consider him a confirmed case of MERS because it detected only antibodies, not the live virus. Dr David Swerdlow of the CDC, who is leading the US response to MERS, said the agency would discuss with the World Health Organization its system of classifying MERS cases to account for milder cases.

Last week, researchers at the forefront of the global MERS response said they were investigating whether people infected with MERS who have no symptoms could still pass the virus on to others.

Dr Swerdlow said there is evidence that there is a broader spectrum of MERS than first expected. Health officials are now trying to identify and monitor close contacts of the Illinois resident. “It’s possible that as the investigation continues, others may also test positive for MERS infection, but not get sick,” Dr Swerdlow said.

However, he said the new report is not considered evidence that the virus is spreading more easily among people than previously thought. “We don’t think this changes the risk to the general public”, which remains low, he said. Many of those who have gotten sick in the Middle East have been family members or healthcare workers caring for a MERS patient.

A second US illness was confirmed last week in a 44-year-old man from Saudi Arabia who was visiting Florida.

So far, there is no vaccine or cure for the virus and no specific treatment except to relieve symptoms, which include fever, cough and shortness of breath. MERS belongs to the coronavirus family that includes the common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome, which caused around 800 deaths globally in 2003. AGENCIES

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.