Photo Credit NIAID
# 8560
As you might expect, epidemiological investigations are underway all along the route of travel of the healthcare provider diagnosed today with MERS (see CDC: First Imported MERS Coronavirus Case In the United States) who left Riyadh on the 24th and flew – via London – to Chicago and then took a bus on to Indiana.
The risk to the public is considered `very low’ at this time, but out of an abundance of caution aggressive contact tracing is being done on both sides of the Atlantic.
This afternoon, Public Health England issued the following press advisory (h/t @Ironorehopper).
Case of suspected MERS-CoV detected on flight through London
- Organisation:
- Page history:
- Published 2 May 2014
- Topic:
- Public health
PHE was today advised of a suspected case of MERS-CoV in a person flying from Riyadh to Chicago and transiting through London.
Public Health England was today advised of a suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) in a person flying from Riyadh to Chicago and transiting through London on Thursday, April 24 2014. Positive diagnosis was confirmed by the United States Centre for Disease Control on Friday evening (UK time).
The passenger, who is not a UK national, was on British Airways Flight 262 from Riyadh to London, and transferred at Heathrow for onward travel to the USA, where they were later hospitalised with suspected MERS-CoV.
The risk of the infection being passed to other passengers on Flight 262 is extremely low. However, as a precautionary measure, Public Health England has contacted UK passengers who were sitting in the vicinity of the affected passenger to provide health information.
Any UK based passengers on Flight 262 on April 24 who have since become unwell or experienced respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath are advised to contact NHS 111.
PHE will also work with the US health authorities to contact any UK passengers on the April 24 onward flight from London to Chicago, American Airlines Flight 99.
The period between exposure and when symptoms might develop (the incubation period) for MERS-CoV is currently considered to be up to 14 days. Any illness that passengers might experience more than 14 days after the flight (i.e. starting on or after Friday 9 May), would not be considered to be related.
There is presently no evidence of sustained person-to-person transmission of MERS-CoV, and the risk of contracting infection in the UK remains very low.
MERS-CoV is a new type of coronavirus, first identified in a Middle Eastern citizen in 2012. Although cases continue to be reported from the Middle East, no new cases of MERS-CoV have been detected in the UK since February 2013.
Professor Nick Phin, Head of Respiratory Diseases for Public Health England said: “The risk is very low and human to human transmission of MERS-CoV is extremely rare, but we would ask any passengers from British Airways Flight 262 on 24 April to contact NHS 111 if they’re experiencing respiratory symptoms or have felt unwell since their flight.”
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