Volume 26, Number 7—July 2020
Dispatch
Surveillance and Testing for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, March 2016–March 2019
Abdullah Alzahrani, Stephanie A. Kujawski, Glen R. Abedi
, Safaa Tunkar, Holly M. Biggs, Nada Alghawi, Hani Jokhdar, Abdullah M. Assiri, and John T. Watson
, Safaa Tunkar, Holly M. Biggs, Nada Alghawi, Hani Jokhdar, Abdullah M. Assiri, and John T. Watson
Table 1
Case definitions for suspected MERS-CoV infection, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, 2015 and 2018*
| 2015 case definition | 2018 case definition |
|---|---|
| Acute respiratory illness with clinical and/or radiologic evidence of pulmonary parenchymal disease (pneumonia or ARDS) |
Severe pneumonia (severity score >3 points) or ARDS (based on clinical or radiologic evidence) |
| A hospitalized patient with healthcare-associated pneumonia based on clinical or radiologic evidence |
Unexplained deterioration of a chronic condition of patients with congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis |
| Upper or lower respiratory illness within 2 weeks after exposure to a confirmed or probable case of MERS-CoV infection |
Acute febrile illness (temperature >38°C) with or without respiratory symptoms AND epidemiologic link†,‡ |
| Unexplained acute febrile illness (temperature >38°C) AND body aches, headache, diarrhea, or nausea/vomiting, with or without respiratory symptoms, AND leucopenia (white blood cells <3.5 × 109/L) and thrombocytopenia (platelets <150 × 109/L) |
Gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea or vomiting) AND leucopenia (white blood cells <3.5 × 109/L) or thrombocytopenia (platelets <150 × 109/L) AND epidemiologic link†,‡ |
| unexplained severe pneumonia or meets >1 of the above case definition categories and in 14 days prior to symptom onset, has exposure to camels or camel products or to a confirmed or suspected MERS-CoV case-patient. |
*Case definitions apply to adults only (>14 years of age) unless indicated. ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; MERS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome.
†Applies to children and adults.
‡Epidemiologic link defined as, within 14 days before symptom onset, exposure to a person with a confirmed case of MERS-CoV infection, visit to a healthcare facility where any MERS-CoV patient has been identified or treated within the preceding 2 weeks, or contact with dromedary camels or consumption of camel products.
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