Deadly MERS Virus has Turned Up in the U.S.

A deadly virus from the Middle East that causes severe acute respiratory illness has turned up in Indiana in the first known case in the United States. The man fell ill after arriving in the U.S. about a week ago from Saudi Arabia, where he is a health care worker.

The virus — known as MERS, short for Middle East respiratory syndrome — first surfaced two years ago. Since then, the World Health Organization has confirmed 262 cases in 12 countries; 93 of those people died. And there are an additional 100 unconfirmed cases, Assistant Surgeon General Anne Schuchat, who is also the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said at a Friday news conference.

The U.S. case involves a man in Indiana who traveled to Saudi Arabia and returned to the United States through London Heathrow airport to Chicago's O'Hare airport and then to Indiana by bus, the CDC says. 

"This is a rapidly evolving situation," Schuchat said. "The introduction of MERS-CoV is another reminder that diseases are just a plane ride away." 

The man didn't become ill until he arrived in Indiana. Symptoms can include fever, cough and breathing problems, which can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure. The CDC says the patient is being well cared for, is currently isolated and is in stable condition.

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