# 7350
The Italian Ministry of Health this afternoon has released a statement indicating that they’ve identified two additional MERS coronavirus cases – both contacts of the 45-year old man recently returned from Jordan who was hospitalized on May 28th.
They are a 2-year old child and a co-worker. Both are hospitalized in Florence, and reportedly doing well. The following is a machine translation from the MOH site.
PRESS RELEASE
NEW CORONAVIRUS, TWO NEW CASES CONFIRMED IN ITALY
· It is two people who have had close contact with the first case, and both are in good health.
· Ministry is closely monitoring the situation
The Region of Tuscany in the late afternoon announced today that the Ministry of Health two subjects already under medical surveillance because it entered into close contact with the first case of infection with Italian MERS CoV, have developed a clinical form of respiratory infection, which at the time presents a framework for both non-serious.
Laboratory investigations, carried out in collaboration between health authorities of Tuscany and the National Institute of Health, confirmed the diagnosis of infection with MERS CoV.
The two new cases refer to a child of about two years, part of the family of the first patient, and a co-worker of the same.
Both patients are hospitalized in isolation at health facilities in Florence.
The transmission of infection from diseased to people who have had prolonged close contact with them has already been documented, even in Europe, in the home and hospital.
The Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation in close contact with the health authorities of Tuscany.
