Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

Updated Aug. 2, 2019

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness that is new to humans. It was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States. Most people infected with MERS-CoV developed severe respiratory illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Many of them have died.

An electron micrograph showing spherical MERS-DoV particles within the cytoplasm of an infected cell
Countries with Lab-Confirmed MERS Cases

Countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula that have reported MERS cases: Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen.

Countries outside of the Arabian Peninsula with travel-associated MERS cases: Algeria, Austria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom (UK), and United States of America (USA).

CDC, Medscape from WebMD

CDC Commentary: Be on the Lookout for MERS-CoV

CDC Commentary: Be on the Lookout for MERS-CoV
CDC’s Dr. Susan Gerber provides an update on MERS, including when to evaluate patients, how to collect appropriate specimens, and infection control.
Running Time 5:26 mins
Date Released 06/23/2014