Case Definitions
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Patients should be evaluated for MERS-CoV infection in consultation with the state and local health departments. For more information, see CDC’s Interim Guidance for Healthcare Professionals.
Patient Under Investigation (PUI)
A person who has both clinical features and an epidemiologic risk should be considered a patient under investigation (PUI) based on one of the following scenarios:
| Clinical Features | Epidemiologic Risk | |
|---|---|---|
Severe illness Fever and pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (based on clinical or radiological evidence) | and | A history of travel from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula1 within 14 days before symptom onset,or close contact2 with a symptomatic traveler who developed fever and acute respiratory illness (not necessarily pneumonia) within 14 days after traveling from countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula1. – or – A history of being in a healthcare facility (as a patient, worker, or visitor) in the Republic of Korea within 14 days before symptom onset. – or – A member of a cluster of patients with severe acute respiratory illness (e.g., fever and pneumonia requiring hospitalization) of unknown etiology in which MERS-CoV is being evaluated, in consultation with state and local health departments in the US. |
Milder illness Fever and symptoms of respiratory illness (not necessarily pneumonia; e.g., cough, shortness of breath) | and | A history of being in a healthcare facility (as a patient, worker, or visitor) within 14 days before symptom onset in a country or territory in or near the Arabian Peninsula in which recent healthcare-associated cases of MERS have been identified. |
Fever or symptoms of respiratory illness (not necessarily pneumonia; e.g., cough, shortness of breath) | and | Close contact2 with a confirmed MERS case while the case was ill. |
The above criteria serve as guidance for testing; however, patients should be evaluated and discussed with public health departments on a case-by-case basis if their clinical presentation or exposure history is equivocal (e.g., uncertain history of health care exposure).
Confirmed Case
A confirmed case is a person with laboratory confirmation of MERS-CoV infection. Confirmatory laboratory testing requires a positive PCR on at least two specific genomic targets or a single positive target with sequencing on a second.
Probable Case
A probable case is a PUI with absent or inconclusive laboratory results for MERS-CoV infection who is a close contact2 of a laboratory-confirmed MERS-CoV case. Examples of laboratory results that may be considered inconclusive include a positive test on a single PCR target, a positive test with an assay that has limited performance data available, or a negative test on an inadequate specimen.
Top of PageFootnotes
- Countries considered in the Arabian Peninsula and neighboring include: Bahrain; Iraq; Iran; Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Oman; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Syria; the United Arab Emirates (UAE); and Yemen.
- Close contact is defined as: a) being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) or within the room or care area for a prolonged period of time (e.g., healthcare personnel, household members) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment (i.e., gowns, gloves, respirator, eye protection– see Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations); or b) having direct contact with infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment (i.e., gowns, gloves, respirator, eye protection – see Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations). Data to inform the definition of close contact are limited. At this time, brief interactions, such as walking by a person, are considered low risk and do not constitute close contact.
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