Abstract
MERS coronavirus has recently emerged as a pathogen causing severe infection in humans. In a report from Saudi Arabia, mild infection in health care workers caring for infected patients is identified through a screening program. Implications for infection control are discussed.
To the Editor:
A majority of the 94 cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection that have been reported to date have occurred in Saudi Arabia. Patients with this infection have presented with serious respiratory disease and have required hospitalization.
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However, there have been case reports of less severe disease within family
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,
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and hospital
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clusters, and the clinical spectrum of MERS-CoV infections may extend to asymptomatic and subclinical cases. Therefore, the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of this infection need further definition. The patterns of the spread of MERs-CoV among family
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or hospital
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clusters suggest that . . .