Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness that was recently recognized in humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. Most people identified as infected with MERS-CoV developed severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Many of them have died.
Countries with Lab-Confirmed MERS Cases
Countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula with MERS cases: Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen.
Countries outside of the Arabian Peninsula with travel-associated MERS cases: Algeria, Austria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom (UK), and United States of America (USA).
CDC Commentary: Be on the Lookout for MERS-CoV
CDC’s Dr. Susan Gerber provides an update on MERS, including when to evaluate patients, collecting appropriate specimens, and infection control.
Running Time 5:26 mins
Date Released 06/23/2014
- Page last reviewed: September 14, 2017
- Page last updated: July 13, 2016
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