A new and deadly virus has caught the attention of Pennsylvania health officials, although they say odds are low anyone in Pennsylvania will catch Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.
"The best thing the public can do right now is be aware this is a possibility ... at this moment, it is very unlikely that someone in Pennsylvania will come in contact with it," said Dr. John Goldman, an infectious disease expert at PinnacleHealth System.
Around the world, there have been about 575 illnesses and 175 deaths attributed to MERS, with most occurring in Arabian Penninsula countries including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Still, health officials are concerned by the fact that the number of cases has tripled within the past six weeks, and the virus, which causes fever and severe respiratory problems, has been fatal in 30 percent of cases.
There have been three cases in the United States. Two involved people who were in the Middle East, and one involved someone who had contact with one of those. All three recovered.
Dr. Carrie DeLone, Pennsylvania's physician general, said Pennsylvania health officials are advising hospitals and others to be on the lookout for the symptoms, and she noted that state labs are capable of testing for MERS. However, she said health care workers encountering such symptoms, which can result from many other types of illness, should verify the patient traveled outside the country, or had close contact with someone who did, before forwarding specimens for lab testing.
Symptoms typically appear within 5 to 14 days after exposure. MERS can travel from person to person. However, health officials believe transmission requires close contact, such as that which occurs when someone cares for a person with MERS or lives with him or her.
There is no vaccine to prevent MERS and no specific treatment for it.
It's believed that MERS is carried by animals including camels and bats.