Officials: 2nd US case of MERS being reported

NEW YORK (AP) -- Health officials have confirmed a second U.S. case of a mysterious virus that has sickened hundreds in the Middle East.

A news conference to discuss the case has been scheduled for Monday afternoon by the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus is MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. It is a respiratory illness that begins with flu-like fever and cough but can lead to shortness of breath, pneumonia and death. A third of those who develop symptoms die from it.

Officials: 2nd US case of MERS being reported

MERS hasn't really been on my radar screen until now. But with a second case reported in the USA today and more cases being reported in the Middle East, it seems like something to keep an eye on. I thought there would definitely be people on ATS who would want to know about this development.

a reply to: ikonoklast

I heard it is some kind of camel flu that passed on to humans...
But im no virologist. Scary though if not contained.

Here is information on how to access the news conference today (Monday, May 12, 2014) at 2:00 p.m. ET for those who are interested:

CDC Announcement

It's apparently dial-in, with a transcript to be published afterwards.

a reply to: ikonoklast

2 cases? I don't think that's worth worrying about. More people probably died of the common cold in the very second you read this post.

Scare mongering like this does no one any favours. You've probably got more chance of killing yourself trying to put on your trousers.

a reply to: ikonoklast

It'll probably die out pretty quickly like H1N1, but it's important to keep an eye on things like this... especially with a 33% mortality rate . Global outbreak of a fatal disease is one of my biggest fears, so I'll be checking up on this regularly. Thanks for putting it in my radar, ikonoklast.

Uh oh! That's two people out of something like 300,000,000.

I guess it's time to head for the bunker the end of the world is near.

How many people die from complications caused by the flu every year in the U.S. I think it's about 50,000.

I'm not too worried about this MERS thing I think it's media hype supported by big corporate pharmaceutical companies so they can sell more of their drugs.

Here is a link to a CNN story. CNN: 2nd case of MERS
They say it is similar to the Indiana story, apparently a traveler from the ME brought it back, although they don't have details either.

originally posted by: DAZ21
a reply to: ikonoklast

2 cases? I don't think that's worth worrying about. More people probably died of the common cold in the very second you read this post.

Scare mongering like this does no one any favours. You've probably got more chance of killing yourself trying to put on your trousers.

2 cases may sound negligible... but it has to start somewhere. Every disease starts with only 2 US cases, right?

originally posted by: faint1993

originally posted by: DAZ21
a reply to: ikonoklast

2 cases? I don't think that's worth worrying about. More people probably died of the common cold in the very second you read this post.

Scare mongering like this does no one any favours. You've probably got more chance of killing yourself trying to put on your trousers.

2 cases may sound negligible... but it has to start somewhere. Every disease starts with only 2 US cases, right?

Of course but honestly are you going to lose sleep over this "outbreak"?

I guess it's something to be aware of but I wouldn't worry. Both people were in the Middle East. There are bigger things to concern yourself about than catching MERS.

No offense meant toward the OP I gave a S&F but I still have the right to my opinion.

a reply to: faint1993

Yea that's true, and most of us survive. Media make things like this huge, so that people get scared and get a vaccination that probably does more harm than good.

But when there's money to be made, there's money to be made...

There's always new outbreaks of viruses and such, since the dawn of life on earth , and especially science. Yes one day something nasty will come along, but let's not point the finger at every small finding and shout plague.

a reply to: DAZ21

Agreed. My intent is not scare mongering. I generally don't worry much about such things, though I don't ignore such news either. I just happened to see the news and I knew many on ATS would be interested. And apparently the US CDC and the state of Florida think the news is worth a special news conference.

HIV in the US started with a single carrier. Nothing to worry about there right?

I'm not saying it's time to head for the bunker and all that. I just think it's rather silly to dismiss this out of hand.

a reply to: faint1993

You're welcome. As others have said, I wouldn't want anyone to be needlessly afraid. I just knew there would be those on ATS who would want this news somewhere on their radar screen.

a reply to: 200Plus

I'm not going to dismiss it but how many times do they warn us about some horrible disease and it turns out to be nothing.

One of the reasons the diseases travel so easily in Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world are because of their living conditions. Sanitary conditions prevents or decreases the spread of many diseases.

I am not even going to talk about AIDS other than to say know your partner, wear a condom and stay away from needles.

originally posted by: minusinfinity
a reply to: 200Plus

I'm not going to dismiss it but how many times do they warn us about some horrible disease and it turns out to be nothing.

One of the reasons the diseases travel so easily in Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world are because of their living conditions. Sanitary conditions prevents or decreases the spread of many diseases.

I am not even going to talk about AIDS other than to say know your partner, wear a condom and stay away from needles.

Ever talk to anyone who works in a hospital in the US? Crazy infections spread rapidly. Ive known people who walked out worse off than when they went in.

a reply to: ikonoklast

Well, I must admit I hadn't heard of it before seeing it here, so you've informed me

hopefully it's just another dud.

a reply to: minusinfinity

MERS is a respiratory disease though.

If it was a blood or digestive disease I would agree that environment would protect us. I think the availability of easy and rapid (mass) transportation in the Western world makes us more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.

Again, I am not saying this will be the next Spanish Flu by any means.

I just tend to watch respiratory diseases more than others. Call it a hunch.

I agree that they warn too often about diseases, but what is the alternative? No warning at all? It almost seems at times like "they" want to build a sense of complacency in the general public.

Good point.


What is the infection ......mrsa? I worked in a nursing home for a few years and they were always warning us to wash our hands. I always wore long sleeved shirts even during the summer.


I wasn't talking about hospitals I was referring to typical living conditions. In our homes and places of business.

If you guys want to be paranoid then knock yourselves out.

You know you could get hit by a car on the way home. A bolt of lightning or a meteor could strike you at almost anytime. A blood vessel in your brain could burst and kill you before you take your next breath. It happens.

If you live your life in fear of dying then I just feel sorry for you.

originally posted by: minusinfinity
If you guys want to be paranoid then knock yourselves out.

You know you could get hit by a car on the way home. A bolt of lightning or a meteor could strike you at almost anytime. A blood vessel in your brain could burst and kill you before you take your next breath. It happens.

If you live your life in fear of dying then I just feel sorry for you.

I have died a few times already, it's not that big of a deal really

It's the clinical aspects that intrigue me, not the "end of civilization" paranoia.

How does the case in Indiana differ from the case in Florida. Does minor temperature variation play a factor in virulence? Do both cases share the same origin?

Worrying too much is really no different than not worrying at all. Both can be delusions when it come to disease.