Epidemiologic features of the first MERS outbreak in Korea: focus on Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital.
- Author:
Kyung Min KIM
1
;
Moran KI
;
Sung Il CHO
;
Minki SUNG
;
Jin Kwan HONG
;
Hae Kwan CHEONG
;
Jong Hun KIM
;
Sang Eun LEE
;
Changhwan LEE
;
Keon Joo LEE
;
Yong Shik PARK
;
Seung Woo KIM
;
Bo Youl CHOI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Epidemiology; Nosocomial infection; Korea; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus; Outbreak; Quarantine
- MeSH: Caregivers; Cross Infection; Crowding; Disease Outbreaks; Epidemiology; Gyeonggi-do*; Humans; Information Dissemination; Inpatients; Korea*; Medical Records; Medical Staff; Middle East; Quarantine
- From:Epidemiology and Health 2015;37(1):e2015041-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the epidemiologic features of the confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital, where the outbreak first began, in order to identify lessons relevant for the prevention and control of future outbreaks. METHODS: The patients' clinical symptoms and test results were collected from their medical records. The caregivers of patients were identified by phone calls. RESULTS: After patient zero (case #1) was admitted to Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital (May 15-May 17), an outbreak occurred, with 36 cases between May 18 and June 4, 2015. Six patients died (fatality rate, 16.7%). Twenty-six cases occurred in the first-generation, and 10 in the second-generation. The median incubation period was five days, while the median period from symptom onset to death was 12.5 days. While the total attack rate was 3.9%, the attack rate among inpatients was 7.6%, and the inpatients on the eighth floor, where patient zero was hospitalized, had an 18.6% attack rate. In contrast, caregivers and medical staff showed attack rates of 3.3% and 1.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The attack rates were higher than those of the previous outbreaks in other countries. The outbreak spread beyond Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital when four of the patients were moved to other hospitals without appropriate quarantine. The best method of preventing future outbreaks is to overcome the vulnerabilities observed in this outbreak, such as ward crowding, patient migration without appropriate data sharing, and the lack of an initial broad quarantine.
