Washington, May 14 (QNA) – The White House underlined that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is taking the threat of MERS coronavirus very seriously and is working in close coordination with local health authorities.
On Monday, the second US case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which has killed at least 145 people elsewhere, was confirmed.
US President Barack Obama has been briefed by his advisers on the deadly syndrome and the two US cases.
"The president has been briefed on this development. The CDC is taking the current situation very seriously and is working in close coordination with local health authorities," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
"Our team is watching it very closely," he said.
Obama was briefed by Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, Carney said.
Two cases of the deadly virus have been confirmed this month in Indiana and Florida. Both patients are health care providers.
Officials are trying to reach out to hundreds of people who may have come into contact with the patients in the US or while they were traveling from overseas.
The MERS virus has sickened at least 538 people in 14 countries. There is no vaccine or specific treatment, and little understanding of how the disease spreads.
So far, 145 people have died from MERS, which causes severe acute respiratory illness. Symptoms include fever, cough and trouble breathing. (QNA)
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QNA 0541 GMT 2014/05/14
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