MERS - Now widespread Human to Human Transmission

[River Song]

[TOF]

It's this sort of thing that scares the poop out of me. I've been keeping a weather eye on it and the US had it's first case this month. Although it seems to still have difficulty transmitting person to person, if it gets into a larger population, and therefore a bigger target it has the potential to mutate at a much faster rate than at present, where it is mainly contained within Mecca and Jeddah
As you mentioned RS, returning Haj disciples could be the catalyst for it to move out of the Middle East.

[Mortblanc]

The single identified and admitted case here in the U.S. is a couple hundred miles cross country from me. The man was a returning "aid worker", one of those terms that has no real definition but sounds very humanitarian.

He was mentioned, and then forgotten by the media, early last week.

[Oggydoggy100]

MERS has been spreading across Arabia for the past two years. There were two cases here in the UK last year, both treated at Guys in London.
Both case contracted in the Middle East. Camels are now thought to be spreading the virus also.

[Mortblanc]

Second case in the U.S. identified in the past two weeks.

Another "aid worker" just back from Arabia.

Not really a concern yet, we have 24-36 plague deaths every year and it never makes the news.

[Mortblanc]

[Grumpy Grandpa]

Mort, I've learned over time to appreciate your sense of humour but I'm not entirely sure how to take your last post on this.

MERS has been something I've been aware of , as have many of us but not too bothered by - now I'm wondering why I haven't stored more N95 masks...

[Mortblanc]

[Jace]

[Jonas]

Mort, does this mean that if I'm flying somewhere, I shouldn't sit next to a camel on the plane, or just not shake hands with him?