CDC Reports Illinois Man Third Recorded Case of MERS in United States

By Jon Graef in News on May 18, 2014 7:15PM

(This file photo provided by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission of the MERS coronavirus that emerged in 2012. Health officials on Friday, May 2, 2014 said the deadly virus from the Middle East has turned up for the first time in the U.S.)

The Center for Disease Control said in a press release it had confirmed that an Illinois man was the third recorded case of the potentially fatal MERS -- that's Middle East Respiratory Syndrome -- in the United States.

The man, fortunately, did not require medical attention and is reportedly in good health.

The first case of MERS was recorded in Indiana earlier this month.

The CDC wrote in the news release that the Illinois man had met with the Indiana patient twice before it was confirmed the Indiana man had MERS. Initial test results for the Illinois man were negative. A follow-up test, however, showed the man not only tested positive for MERS, but that the man also tested for anti-bodies to MERS.

The second test came back May 16. "Efforts are now under way to identify, notify, test, and monitor close contacts of the Illinois resident," the CDC wrote.

The CDC also says there's "no available vaccine or specific treatment recommended for the virus" and they do not know how MERS is spreads. For a MERS FAQ, go here.