MERS is a severe illness caused by a type of coronavirus. Learn how common it is, what the symptoms are, and who's at risk.
If you do plan to travel to the Arabian Peninsula: If this is the case, your doctor might send your sample to a state health department. They can offer testing and guidance for managing it so you don’t spread it to those around you. You’re not likely to get it unless you travel to the Arabian Peninsula or come into close contact with someone who has recently traveled there and has symptoms. During your time at the hospital, you may need IV (intravenous) fluids, mechanical ventilation, or supplemental (extra) oxygen. Make sure to tell your medical team if you’ve traveled recently or if you’ve been around any sick people or camels. All cases of MERS are linked to living in or traveling to countries in or near the Arabian Peninsula. Your doctor will take some fluid from your lungs. Sometimes the infection gets worse and leads to pneumonia, respiratory (breathing) failure, or kidney failure. MERS may have come from bats and then spread to other animals before it spread to humans. In Saudi Arabia and nearby countries, camels have the same strain of MERS as humans. Anyone can get MERS, but it tends to affect people who live in the Arabian Peninsula or travel to this area.