Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is an illness caused by a coronavirus that first emerged in 2012 and has been linked to travel, or residence in, countries in and near the Arabian Peninsula. However, travel associated cases and outbreaks have occurred globally. Retrospective studies that demonstrated that MERS-CoV has spread from ill people to others through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. Most MERS patients developed severe acute respiratory illness with sy​mptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Many MERS cases had underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease or cancer. MERS is spread through respiratory secretions such as mucous or saliva.  For more information see the CDC website at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/hcp.html. ​