MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) hospital transmission in several countries

Time to Watch for MERS in Hospitals around the world

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was first identified among a group of hospital personnel in Jordan in April 2012. (link) It is a severe novel zoonosis with a CFR of more than 50%.

As of June 1, 2013, this disease has only infected about 55 people in various countries in the Middle East and Europe. However, human-to-human transmission of the disease has been reported in hospital settings in France and Saudi Arabia. The family clusters of infections in the Italy and the United Kingdom may also partially be a result of nosocomial transmission.

In all of these clusters the index cases were infected on the Arabian Peninsula, either because the person recently traveled there or was a resident there.

Nurses should be aware of the potential for MERS infection from sick patients who have recently returned from any of the countries located on the Arabian Peninsula.

WHO link: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_05_31_ncov/en/index.html

[Laidback Al]

Map of Current MERS cases as of June 2, 2013

from novel-infectious-diseases

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Wow....THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laidback Al]

At least 10 more people in Florence, Italy, all contacts of the original three cases, are reported as asymptomatic cases of MERS-CoV today.

These are apparently not HCWs. More information from official sources is necessary to speculate on the implications of these additional suspected cases in Italy.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Saw something on one of the evening news shows last Friday that the CDC has issued a warning to every ER in the USA. They have been advised of the signs/symptoms of MERS and are to report any suspected cases at once, as well as putting such persons in isolation.

What has many public health persons worried is how little they know about MERS and the ease of modern international travel.

[Laidback Al]

At least 10 more people in Florence, Italy, all contacts of the original three cases, are reported as asymptomatic cases of MERS-CoV today.

These are apparently not HCWs. More information from official sources is necessary to speculate on the implications of these additional suspected cases in Italy.

This is now becoming a public relations disaster in Italy for health officials. A second round of testing on at least eight of these individuals produced negative test results. It is worth noting that as many as five of these individuals were HCWs.

[Soophia_adrielle]

MERS-Cov victims here in KSA mostly are men with age range from 20-45 years of age........