Question

In May 2014, a male patient presented to the emergency department in Indiana with acute respiratory symptoms, coughing, fever, and shortness of breath. He told doctors that he had spent some time in Saudi Arabia before flying to Chicago via London, and then taking a bus to Indiana. Because of his travel history he was placed in isolation and tested for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome- Corona virus (MERS-CoV), which was confirmed. This was the first case of MERS-CoV reported in the United States and was associated with a 40% mortality rate. All the people he encountered on this trip were potentially exposed to the virus. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) was notified, and they provided advice on the actions to be taken to prevent further spread of the virus. What would need to be done about the other passengers he travelled with?

Select one:

a.
Share the news of the infected traveller’s remarkable diagnosis with them.

b.
Contact them, test and isolate any sick passengers.

c.
Nothing as it is likely that all infected passengers would have died by now.

d. Alert them and hope that they have developed protective immunity.

Answer 1

Answer : (b) Contact them, test and isolate any sick passengers.

Since MERS-CoV is spread by respiratory droplets and the index patient had symptoms, it is more likely that the copassengers acquire the infection from him. It takes a certain time for these contacts to manifest clinical symptoms (known as incubation period). Meanwhile it is important to trace all the contacts, and isolate them for a particular quarantine period. They are tested for MERS-CoV and treated acoordingly.