If you haven’t heard of it by now, MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) is a deadly respiratory illness spreading fear through South Korea.
Although the first reported case of MERS was in Saudi Arabia in 2012, it’s since spread to several other countries, most of them on the Arabian Peninsula. But it has been spread, via travel, to countries outside of Asia, including two reported cases in the United States last year.
Since May, South Korea has seen the largest known outbreak of MERS outside of the Arabian Peninsula. According to the World Health Organization, there currently are 122 confirmed cases of MERS (121 in South Korea and one in China) and nine deaths.
So, what is MERS exactly and should we be worried in our region?
MERS 101
Caused by a coronavirus (SARS is an example), MERS causes symptoms including fever, coughing and shortness of breath. It also causes some gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea and nausea, and, in severe cases, pneumonia and kidney failure.
People exposed to MERS usually develop symptoms within five to seven days after exposure, according to the Northern Kentucky Health Department, although it can take anywhere from two to 14 days.
Spread through coughing, sneezing and other close contact with an infected person, MERS can affect anyone and “gets very serious very quickly,” said St. Elizabeth Healthcare Infection Control Manager Patty Burns, but it’s worse for those with a compromised immune system.
Most of the people who have died from MERS have had an underlying medical condition prior to their infection. Those with chronic diseases such as heart and kidney disease or diabetes, and those with weakened immune systems, are at a higher risk for getting MERS or contracting a severe case.
Also, there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for MERS, and health officials still don’t know the source, although they believe it to be animal-based, Burns said.
Do I need to worry?
While an outbreak in the United States is possible, it’s unlikely, she said.
“It would take someone from the United States traveling and getting exposed to it overseas and then coming home and exposing people here,” Burns said, “which does happen, but it’s not a super contagious thing like the flu where it’s circulating in the community.”
There are no travel restrictions in place at present, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend that Americans change their travel plans to South Korea or other countries because of MERS.
Right now, hospitals in the United States are taking precautions by ensuring they have the necessary equipment on-hand and asking patients with respiratory symptoms if they’ve been to South Korea recently, Burns said. Those questions are in addition to the hospital screening questions still in place for the Ebola virus, which has killed more than 11,000 people since the epidemic started last year in West Africa.
“Ebola is much more infectious than MERS,” Burns said. “It spreads much more easily.”
In a statement, the Northern Kentucky Health Department said: “The risk of contracting MERS in the U.S. is very low; however, if you have respiratory symptoms and have either traveled in the last 14 days to a country where MERS has been found or have been exposed to someone who was ill with MERS in the last two weeks, please call your health care provider and let him/her know your travel history before seeking treatment.”
How can I keep from getting MERS?
To avoid MERS and other respiratory diseases, the Northern Kentucky Health Department recommends taking everyday precautions, including:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid personal contact, such as kissing, or sharing cups or utensils, with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as doorknobs.
For more information, call the Northern Kentucky Health Department at (859) 363-2070 or visit http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/index.html.
