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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, MERS, MERS-CoV

  • See Also
  1. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
  • Background
  1. Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) first described in Saudi Arabia in 2012
  • Epidemiology
  1. Cases in the U.S. (and other non-arabian countries are uncommon and seen only in travelers to arabian peninsula as of 7/2014)
  2. Countries on Arabian Peninsula in which primary outbreaks have occurred
    1. Saudi Arabia
    2. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
    3. Qatar
    4. Oman
    5. Jordan
    6. Kuwait
    7. Yemen
    8. Lebanon
    9. Iran
  • Findings
  1. Incubation Period: 14 days
  2. Prodromal non-specific symptoms
    1. Headache
    2. Chills
    3. Myalgias
    4. Nausea or Vomiting
    5. Diarrhea
  3. Severe acute respiratory illness
    1. Fever
    2. Cough
    3. Shortness of Breath
  • Labs
  1. rRT-PCR testing of lower respiratory tract specimen
  2. MERS-CoV Serology
  • Diagnosis
  • Patient under investigation (PUI) for suspected MERS
  1. Fever AND
  2. Pneumonia or Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome AND
  3. Exposure
    1. Travel to Arabian Peninsula within 14 days of symptom onset OR
    2. Close contact with symptomatic traveler to Arabian peninsula OR
    3. One of cluster of patients with severe acute respiratory illness OR
    4. Worked, visited or hospitalized in a healthcare facility on Arabian peninsula within 14 days of symptom onset
  • Prognosis
  1. Mortality: 30%
  • Resources
  1. CDC MERS general page
    1. http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/
  2. CDC Interim guidelines
    1. http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/interim-guidance.html