CDC Announces First Case of MERS in U.S.

[Hissyspit]

Source: Bloomberg News

MAY 2, 2014
CDC ANNOUNCES FIRST CASE OF MERS IN U.S.

By Lorraine Woellert

DC, Indiana State Dept of Health conducting investigation into first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in U.S., agency says in statement.

CDC to hold 3pm press briefing

NOTE: 371 cases of virus have been reported in Saudi Arabia since Sept. 2012, Saudi Health Ministry said yesterday


Read more: http://about.bgov.com/2014-05-02/cdc-announces-first-case-mers-u-s/

[Warpy]

1. Doubleplus ungood

It's spread by close contact, which means any health care provider before it was diagnosed as MERS and to the patient's family. It spreads only on close contact, so the larger community has to be considered safe unless proven otherwise.

It's nasty. It's got a 50% fatality rate even when caught and treated.

[Sunlei]

4. spreads by 'close contact'. Like travel by air on all those packed airlines that everyone sick uses.

[starroute]

5. And stay away from camels with runny noses

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140502081339.htm

The so-called Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus was first found in June 2012 in a patient from Saudi Arabia, who suffered from severe pneumonia. Since this time more than 300 persons have developed an infection, of whom about a third died. The fact that the Arabian camel is the origin of the infectious disease has been confirmed recently. The transmission pathways of the viruses, however, have not been clear until now.

Virologists Norbert Nowotny and Jolanta Kolodziejek from the Institute of Virology are investigating the transmission pathways of the MERS coronavirus. They found that viruses from infected humans and Arabian camels from the same geographical region have nearly identical RNA sequences. "This indicates transmission between animals and man. The process is referred to as zoonosis. With this knowledge we can specifically react to the spread of the virus. Vaccinations of camels are currently being discussed. We will thus be able to halt the spread of the virus," said Nowotny. . . .

Virus levels were surprisingly high in the nasal mucosa and conjunctiva of camels. Therefore the scientists presume that the transmission pathway from animals to humans most likely occurs through these contact sites, especially through nasal discharge.

In man the virus causes severe pneumonia and renal failure while camels show no or very little symptoms (in some cases nasal discharge).

[egold2604]

7. How many thought what I did when they read MERS originated in camels...

and was transmitted to humans by close contact?

[Sunlei]

9. thought it was like the swine flu came from filthy sick animals in factory farms or the bird flu.

Perhaps there are over crowded, dirty conditions in their camel meat and milk industry in the middle east.

They also have their camel racing & breeding industry and that is clean & top flight.

[Marrah_G]

16. Bird flu and swine flu doesn't come just from dirty or crowded conditions

Influenza A starts in wild birds. Then it is transmitted to domestic birds or pigs. It can then sometimes make a jump from the animals to the people. Sometimes it then mutates and is able to transfer from human to human.

Of course people that are exposed to the butchering of these animals (which do not always show signs of illness) on a regular basis have more chances of coming in contact with the viruses. But there doesn't need to be cramped or dirty conditions for a virus to cross species. In fact, domesticated animals that are not confined are more at risk. Changes in how domestic fowl are raised in Asia are necessary but the populace has been uncooperative in making those changes, due to either finances or tradition, or both.

Often viruses come from contact with wild animals either through hunting or the feces of such.

[Sunlei]

18. kind of like prion diseases,mad cow in deer feed= chronic wasting disease in our deer population.

This is evolution according to Virologist Ruben Donis. Exclusive Interview: CDC Head Virus Sleuth http://news.sciencemag.org/2009/04/exclusive-interview-cdc-head-virus-sleuth

[Marrah_G]

20. The prion diseases can be avoided with strict regulations

Not feeding animal protein to livestock is huge. Not eating certain parts of deer/elk (like the brain) is also important. It also does not transfer human to human except in cases of cannibalism.

Deadly Feasts is a good book on Prions and a really good book on Zoonosis (cross species transfer of viruses) is called Spillover.

Both are fascinating topics... I became interested after a friend in Germany died of swine flu at age 33.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Authorities contacting those who sat close on British Airways flight

Health officials have issued advice to passengers after a suspected case of the Mers respiratory virus on board a flight passing through London.

Public Health England said a passenger on BA flight 262 from Riyadh, who passed through Heathrow on 24 April, had been admitted to a US hospital.

People sitting near the passenger have been contacted and anyone else feeling unwell should call the NHS 111 service.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27262357

[Sunlei]

10. Airlines need better ventilation and plenty of air fresh exchanges. People who fly a lot are always

sick.

[1000words]

2. Let the freak out begin!

This should keep Americans busy for a while ...

[Marrah_G]

17. People should always be reminded to wash their hands often

Sneeze into an elbow, avoid touching their face, etc.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. More details would have been helpful.

[herding cats]

11. The LA Times has a bit more on the topic

A case of the sometimes fatal Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, has been reported in Indiana, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The announcement marks the first time a patient with the infection has been identified in the United States, CDC officials said.

“CDC is working closely with the Indiana State Health Department and hospital to rapidly respond to and investigate this situation to help prevent the spread of the virus,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a news briefing.

That said, she added, this first importation of the bug “represents a very low risk to the broader general public.”

More: http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-mers-coronavirus-indiana-first-case-virus-20140502,0,140803.story

[Baitball Blogger]

12. Thank you.

The common source seems to be Riyadh.

[840high]

19. ty

[jtuck004]

6. What are the symptoms of MERS?

A: Most people who got infected with MERS-CoV developed severe acute respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About half of them died. Some people were reported as having a mild respiratory illness.

Q: Does MERS-CoV spread from person to person?

A: MERS-CoV has been shown to spread between people who are in close contact.[1] Transmission from infected patients to healthcare personnel has also been observed. Clusters of cases in several countries are being investigated.

Q: What is the source of MERS-CoV?

A: We don’t know for certain where the virus came from. However, it likely came from an animal source. In addition to humans, MERS-CoV has been found in camels in Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and a bat in Saudi Arabia.

...

http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/faq.html

Just fyi

[dipsydoodle]

13. Mers outbreak: London-bound passengers warned over virus

Health officials have issued advice to passengers after a suspected case of the Mers respiratory virus on board a flight passing through London.

Public Health England said a passenger on BA flight 262 from Riyadh, who passed through Heathrow on 24 April, had been admitted to a US hospital.

People sitting near the passenger have been contacted and anyone else feeling unwell should call the NHS 111 service.

Public Health England said the risk of infection was "extremely low".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27262357

[cosmicone]

14. are they going to quarantine all the camels in indiana?

[Divernan]

15. Will everyone PLEASE cover their mouth/nose when they cough or sneeze?

I took a university class on infectious diseases and the prof showed a video tracking the droplets of infection spewing forth from a cough or sneeze. If you are already sick, keep a handkerchief at the ready to cover your nose/mouth. If you are surprised by that sudden sneeze you only realize is coming about 2 seconds in advance, you still have time to raise your arm to your face and sneeze into the bend of your elbow or cup your hands over your nose/mouth.

I've really had it with being sneezed or coughed on in public places - elevators, movie theaters, classrooms, etc., and am ready to start lecturing anyone who does that to me. Isn't it the most common sense thing to do for there to be public service health announcements on this subject on every cable station, billboards, NPR? Mixed in with the previews and rules about cell phones at movie theaters?

This study was about transmission of flu, but the same transmission applies to the deadlier MERS.
(HEADLINE)
Keep your distance! Flu sufferers can spread germs up to nearly 6 feet away

Turns out that flu sufferers can emit small virus particles into the air at greater distances than previously thought -- at a whopping six feet, or nearly two meters. Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina screened 94 patients with flu symptoms admitted to the emergency room or care center of Wake Forest Baptist Medical during the 2010-2011 flu season.

"Our study offers new evidence of the natural emission of influenza and may provide a better understanding of how to best protect health care providers during routine care activities," the researchers wrote in the report.

The team collected air samples from around the patients at varying distances, and also jotted down the number of times the patients coughed or sneezed, rating the severity of the symptoms.

The study authors found that 65 percent of the patients tested positive for the flu. Of this group, 43 percent released particles containing the virus into the air. What's worse is that the sickest people released the highest levels of virus into the air. Plus some were "super emitters," as the researchers described, emitting up to 32 times more virus particles into the air than other patients.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/flu-sufferers-spread-germs-6-foot-radius-study-article-1.1254852#ixzz30biai3g5

[blkmusclmachine]

21. The Republican Party's "response"?? Why, "bomb Saudi Arabia, of course"!