Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infections in Health Care Workers

Abstract

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.^1,2 However, there have been case reports of less severe disease within family^3,4 and hospital² 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^3,4 or hospital² clusters suggest that transmission occurs through droplets or contact. We previously reported two cases of MERS-CoV infection in health care workers,² one of which was fatal.