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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : May 18, 2014 12:52 PM IST
Two workers at a Florida hospital, who came into contact with a US imported case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, have fallen ill and one of them has been hospitalised, a hospital spokesperson said Tuesday. 'Yes, two of the 20 team members at our hospital who were exposed to the confirmed MERS patient have begun to show symptoms. They are not confirmed MERS cases,' Geo Morales, a spokesperson for Dr P. Phillips Hospital in Orlando said in an email, Xinhua reported.
Morales said one of the two has been admitted to the hospital while the other was treated and discharged and is following precautions at home. 'Test results for the presence of MERS should come back for all 20 team members within the next two days,' Morales added. US health officials said Monday that a 44-year-old male healthcare worker who was visiting from Saudi Arabia has tested positive for the MERS virus. (Read: MERS-CoV Should Indians be worried? (Expert Interview))
The Saudi Arabian patient, the second person in the US confirmed to be infected with the virus, 'is in good condition and is continuing to improve,' the hospital said. The first US case of MERS, confirmed in an American healthcare worker who came home from Saudi Arabia last month, has been released from the hospital. So far, there have been more than 500 confirmed cases of MERS infection in 14 countries with at least 145 deaths, and all reported cases have been linked to countries in the Arabian Peninsula. (Read: Kerala on high alert over MERS)
Most of these people developed severe acute respiratory illness, with fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Doctors do not know where the virus came from or exactly how it spreads. There is no available vaccine or specific treatment recommended for the virus.
What exactly is the MERS-CoV?
The MERS is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus which has been christened Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus.
12 facts about MERS-CoV
1. Spread by animals in contact with bats
Mostly carried by bats but also some other vertebrates, the MERS Coronovirus spreads very rapidly in animals when they are kept together in confined and crowded places like live-animal markets, slaughter houses and while transporting animals by ships. Close and prolong contact with infected animals, which may not show any symptoms, helps virus jump to human. As it happened in SARS most of the animal traders were found to have SARS antibodies without any symptoms. This is a stage of adaptation to a new host (Inter-species transfer) which led to possible viral genetic mutation to adapt to its new human host. Same may be true for MERS-CoV.
2. It doesn't spread rapidly among humans
MERS is not transmitted very readily from person-to-person. This may occur after close and prolonged contact with infected patient in closed environment like home, hospitals etc. Infection spreads by coughing, droplet infection. But it can become air borne, meaning spread by air in hospitals when infected patient is given pressurized oxygen, intubated or procedures like bronchoscopy or during the use of pressurized devises like dental drill etc making healthcare workers more susceptible.
3. Infection control in hospitals and clinics can prevent spread
Healthcare workers getting infected by MERS are reported on a regular basis which shows failure of observing stringent Infection Control Procedures in the hospitals. It is the responsibility of the hospitals to educate their staff, supervise and implement strict Infection Control and isolation procedures. Infected healthcare workers take the infection to their family and wider community. (Read: 12 fast facts about MERS-CoV)
With inputs from IANS
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