Volume 21, Number 9—September 2015
Dispatch
Acute Respiratory Infections in Travelers Returning from MERS-CoV–Affected Areas
, Romy Olsha, Erik Kristjanson, Alex Marchand-Austin, Adriana Peci, Anne-Luise Winter, and Jonathan B. Gubbay
Table
Respiratory pathogens detected among 177 persons tested for MERS Co-V at Public Health Ontario Laboratories, Ontario, Canada, November 2012–June 2014*
| Pathogen† | Case count |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. (%)‡ | Highest no. imported in 1 mo | Time of highest no. | |
| Influenza viruses | |||
| Influenza A (H3) virus | 14 (7.9) | 7 | 2013 Oct |
| Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus | 13 (7.3) | 4 | 2014 May |
| Influenza B virus |
14 (7.9) |
6 |
2014 May |
| Other respiratory viruses | |||
| Rhinovirus | 35 (19.8) | 10 | 2013 Oct |
| Parainfluenza viruses 1–4 | 5 (2.8) | 1 | NA |
| Human metapneumovirus | 4 (2.6) | 2 | 2014 May |
| Respiratory syncytial virus (A and B) | 4 (2.6) | 1 | NA |
| Enterovirus | 1 (0.6) | NA | NA |
| Adenovirus | 1 (0.6) | NA | NA |
| Bocavirus |
0 |
NA |
NA |
| Human CoVs | |||
| Human CoV OC43 | 6 (3.4) | 3 | 2014 Feb |
| Human CoV 229E/NL63 | 2 (1.1) | 1 | NA |
| MERS-CoV |
0 |
NA |
NA |
| Bacteria | |||
| Chlamydophila pneumoniae | 1 (0.6) | NA | NA |
| Legionella spp. | 1 (0.6) | NA | NA |
| Mycoplasma pneumoniae | 0 | NA | NA |
*CoV, coronavirus; MERS, Middle East respiratory virus; NA, not applicable.
†Among the 177 returned travelers, no respiratory pathogen was found for 88 (49.7%). Among the remaining 89 (50.3%) returned travelers, at least 1 respiratory pathogen was found; 12 (6.8%) of these persons had viral co-infections. Among the 12 co-infections were 8 rhinovirus co-infections (4 persons with influenza A and 1 each with influenza B, enterovirus, CoV OC43, parainfluenza); 1 influenza A–CoV OC43 co-infection; 1 influenza B–respiratory syncytial virus; 1 CoV 229E/NL63–adenovirus; and 1 CoV 229E/NL63–human metapneumovirus co-infection.
‡Comprises all reported infections, including viruses that were involved in co-infections.
1Current affiliation: St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.