The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that neither of the two MERS cases in the United States spread the virus to the healthcare workers who treated them or to any of their household members.
The CDC confirmed two cases of MERS in the U.S. in May: one in Florida and one in Indiana.
As part of the investigation in each case, the CDC collected specimens from healthcare workers and household members of each patient and tested them through rRT-PCR, along with serology testing. All tests came back negative for active and previous MERS infection.
"The negative results among the contacts that CDC considered at highest risk for MERS-CoV infection are reassuring," said David Swerdlow, MD, the leader of CDC's MERS response, in a news release. He noted that the risk of MERS infection in the U.S. is low.
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