CDC to hold June 11 telebriefing on MERS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will host a telebriefing on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, on Thursday, June 11 at 2 p.m. ET. The briefing will provide the latest information on the MERS outbreak in South Korea and highlight CDC’s updated guidelines for evaluation of MERS, as well as guidance on “Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Possible MERS-CoV.” To access the briefing, dial 888-810-4792 and give passcode 7545982 or join online. A replay and transcript will be available after the call at emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2015/callinfo_061115.asp. According to CDC, MERS, which can be fatal, was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since spread to several other countries, including South Korea, where an outbreak was first reported in May. Most people infected with MERS develop severe acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough and shortness of breath.