The CDC and state and local public health officials are conducting tests of people who had contact with the first two U.S. MERS patients, the Indiana patient and another in Florida. One type of test can indicate if a person has an active MERS infection. Another test, a serology test, is designed to look for MERS antibodies, which, if found, would indicate that a person had been previously infected and developed an immune response. To conduct serology tests for MERS, the CDC performs three separate tests, one of which takes longer than the other two.
The Illinois resident tested negative for MERS in the first type of test, but the first two serology tests appeared to reveal he had MERS antibodies. This prompted the CDC to notify and test people who had close contact with him.
However, once the third, slower serology test was complete on the Illinois resident and scientists analyzed all three serology tests, the CDC concluded the Illinois patient was not previously infected.
“While we never want to cause undue concern among those who have had contact with a MERS patient, it is our job to move quickly if there is a potential public health threat,” said David Swerdlow, MD, who is leading the CDC’s MERS response, in a news release. “Because there is still much we don’t know about this virus, we will continue to err on the side of caution when responding to and investigating cases of MERS in this country.”
As of May 28, no MERS infection has been found in any of the contacts of the Indiana and Florida confirmed MERS patients, and there is no evidence of sustained spread of MERS in community settings, according to the CDC.
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