First Transmission of MERS Virus in United States Occurs with Original Infected Illinois Man

The third case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the United States was announced on Saturday, and it's also the first time the disease was transmitted within the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first documented MERS case in the U.S. was confirmed in an Illinois man who traveled to Saudi Arabia, then to London, then to Chicago, and then took a bus to Indiana. On April 28, the patient visited the emergency room and was then diagnosed with MERS on May 2. He was released from the hospital a week later on May 9.

This man is now believed to be involved with the third MERS diagnosis in the U.S., shortly after the second case was confirmed in Orlando Florida. The new alleged MERS patient, an unidentified Illinois man, had "extended face-to-face contact" during a business meeting with the original Illinois man who was reported infected with MERS on May 2, according to CNN News.

A blood test conducted for the third man with MERS revealed that he was previously infected with the virus, but only suffered cold-like symptoms and did not obtain or require medical attention. Technically it's not an official case of MERS, Dr. David Swerdlow of the CDC told CNN, but the tests reveal he was previously infected, which would mean it was the first human-to-human transmission in the U.S.

The man was found to have tested positive for MERS during the investigation conducted by health officials following the first documented case. The CDC announced they planned to track down whoever was in contact with the infected man over the span of days he was traveling back to the country. U.S. health officials are treating this case as an active one, although it does not meet the World Health Organization's definition of an active case, which needs evidences of a live virus.

"This latest development does not change CDC's current recommendations to prevent the spread of MERS," said Dr. Swerdlow in this NBC News article. "It's possible that as the investigation continues others may also test positive for the MERS-CoV infection but not get sick."

In Saudi Arabia, there have been over 570 confirmed cases of MERS with over 170 deaths since the virus' discovery in September of 2012. It has spread to a number of other countries near Saudi Arabia as well as Europe, Africa, and the U.S., so its threat is real. Health officials recommend seeking medical care if you visit Saudi Arabia and experience MERS-like symptoms within 14 days.