Health Officials Warn Dozens of Airports and Customs Staffs of MERS Virus

It only took two cases of the deadly MERS virus for U.S. health officials to post warnings in airports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's health advisory posted warnings reminding travelers to take health precautions.

The CDC and World Health Organization have yet to issue any travel restrictions, but the U.S. issued warnings at 22 airports to encourage travelers to wash their hands and avoid touching their face to curtail the spread of germs. So far, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has infected a man in Indiana and another man in Florida.

The WHO's International Regulations Emergency Committee met on Tuesday to discuss the current status of the MERS virus, given its high rate in Saudi Arabia and its appearance in multiple countries across the globe.

"Based on current information, the Committee indicated that the seriousness of the situation had increased in terms of public health impact, but that there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission," officials said in a WHO news release. "As a result of their deliberations, the Committee concluded that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) have not yet been met."

The CDC urges travelers to seek medical attention if they visited the Arabian Peninsula and experience symptoms that include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath within 14 days. These are the tell tale signs of the MERS virus. Major airports have quarantine stations for potentially ill travelers, of which Customs employees can detect upon their return.

CDC Director Tom Frieden noted that screening all passengers is unnecessary because some may not exhibit symptoms or might be showing symptoms of something else. MERS symptoms typically take five days to surface, but they could take as long as three weeks, which is dangerous for those who are unaware they are carrying the virus.

Additionally, airline crews have been asked to report any passengers who are feeling feverish, have a cough, or have difficulty breathing, specifically on flights coming from Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen - all countries with confirmed cases of MERS.