First MERS Virus Case Documented in the United States, CDC Reports

Health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the first case of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus in the United States on Friday.

The disease has infected over 400 people worldwide results in over a hundred deaths since its discovery in September of 2012. A majority of the cases have been documented in Saudi Arabia where it's most prevalent. However, cases of MERS have been documented elsewhere, including France, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates Egypt, Greece, Yemen, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

A man from the United States was hospitalized on April 28 following a trip to Saudi Arabia. He fell ill late last week after arriving back in the states, but officials hadn't received news of his condition until Friday. Three days after his flight back from the Middle East, the man began experiencing shortness of breath and coughing, which was when he visited the emergency room and was tested by the Indiana public health lab.

"We've anticipated MERS reaching the U.S., and we've prepared for that and are taking swift action," said CDC Director Tom Frieden in this NPR article. "We're doing everything possible with hospital, local and state health officials to find people who may have had contact with this person so they can be evaluated as appropriate."

Due to the CDC's preparation for this moment, they've notified the public that the MERS risk is low. They're currently in the process of tracking down those who were on the same flight and bus as the infected man to have them tested to ensure its containment. The CDC has not issued any travel restrictions, but they recommend those traveling to the Middle East to seek a doctor within two weeks if they develop a fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

Saudi Arabia is also doing all they can to mitigate the spread of the disease. Last week the country's Ministry of Health announced the first infection-prevention program for the virus in the country's 34,000 schools. They are also working with drug manufacturers to develop a vaccine for the MERS virus.

You can read more about the first documented MERS case in the United States in this ABC News article.