FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mary G. McIntyre, M.D., M.P.H., (334) 206-5325
The Alabama Department of Public Health Bureau of Clinical Laboratories ran a panel of respiratory tests, including one for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), on an individual in Alabama.
The individual presented to a hospital in the state on Aug.13 with respiratory problems. Because of a history of having recently returned from Saudi Arabia, the patient was placed in negative-pressure isolation and a decision was made to perform a respiratory panel of tests.
While initial tests at the State Lab were negative, additional testing is required to confirm or exclude MERS.
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8/15/15