Volume 23, Number 4—April 2017
Dispatch
Surveillance and Testing for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, April 2015–February 2016
, Abdullah G. Alzahrani, Iyad Salameh, Fatima Abdirizak, Raafat Alhakeem, Homoud Algarni, Osman A. El Nil, Mutaz Mohammed, Abdullah M. Assiri, Hail M. Alabdely, John T. Watson, and Susan I. Gerber
Table 1
Demographic characteristics of persons tested for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, April 1, 2015–February 1, 2016
| Characteristic | No. (%) confirmed | No. (%) not confirmed | No. (%) total | % Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 384 | 56,979 | 57,363 | 0.7 |
| Sex | ||||
| F | 156 (40.8) | 25,863 (45.7) | 26,019 (45.7) | 0.6 |
| M | 226 (59.2) | 30,718 (54.3) | 30,944 (54.3) | 0.7 |
| Total |
382 |
56,581 |
56,963 |
0.7 |
| Nationality | ||||
| Saudi | 246 (69.7) | 34,628 (70.3) | 34,874 (70.3) | 0.7 |
| Non Saudi | 107 (30.3) | 14,604 (29.7) | 14,711 (29.7) | 0.7 |
| Total |
353 |
49,232 |
49,585 |
0.7 |
| Reason for testing | ||||
| Suspected case* | 286 (77.1) | 47,592 (89.1) | 47,878 (89.0) | 0.6 |
| Category I | 87 (23.5) | 32,284 (60.5) | 32,371 (60.2) | 0.3 |
| Category II | 67 (18.1) | 2,662 (5.0) | 2,729 (5.1) | 2.5 |
| Category III | 107 (28.8) | 4,669 (8.7) | 4,776 (8.9) | 2.2 |
| Category IV | 25 (6.7) | 7,977 (14.9) | 8,002 (14.9) | 0.3 |
| Recommended by infectious disease consultant | 66 (17.8) | 3,256 (6.1) | 3,322 (6.2) | 2.0 |
| Patient asymptomatic | 19 (5.1) | 2,555 (4.8) | 2,574 (4.8) | 0.7 |
| Total |
371 |
53,403 |
53,774 |
0.7 |
| Month of report | ||||
| April 2015 | 10 (2.6) | 4,953 (8.7) | 4,963 (8.7) | 0.2 |
| May 2015 | 54 (14.1) | 4,414 (7.7) | 4,468 (7.8) | 1.2 |
| June 2015 | 24 (6.3) | 3,090 (5.4) | 3,114 (5.4) | 0.8 |
| July 2015 | 24 (6.3) | 2,634 (4.6) | 2,658 (4.6) | 0.9 |
| August 2015 | 160 (41.7) | 4,610 (8.1) | 4,770 (8.3) | 3.4 |
| September 2015 | 66 (17.2) | 6,520 (11.4) | 6,586 (11.5) | 1.0 |
| October 2015 | 28 (7.3) | 7,568 (13.3) | 7,596 (13.2) | 0.4 |
| November 2015 | 6 (1.6) | 9,191 (16.1) | 9,197 (16.0) | 0.1 |
| December 2015 | 5 (1.3) | 7,280 (12.8) | 7,285 (12.7) | 0.1 |
| January 2016 | 6 (1.6) | 6,487 (11.4) | 6,493 (11.3) | 0.1 |
| February 2016 | 1 (0.3) | 232 (0.4) | 233 (0.4) | 0.4 |
| Total |
384 |
56,979 |
57,363 |
0.7 |
| Age, y | ||||
| 0–14 | 10 (2.6) | 8,022 (14.2) | 8,032 (14.1) | 0.1 |
| 15–34 | 97 (25.4) | 17,621 (31.1) | 17,718 (31.1) | 0.5 |
| 35–49 | 82 (21.5) | 10,201 (18.0) | 10,283 (18.0) | 0.8 |
| 50–65 | 109 (28.5) | 10,082 (17.8) | 10,191 (17.9) | 1.1 |
| >66 | 84 (22.0) | 10,692 (18.9) | 10,776 (18.9) | 0.8 |
| Total | 382 | 56,618 | 57,000 |
*Categories: I, acute respiratory illness with clinical and/or radiologic evidence of pulmonary parenchymal disease (pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome); II, a hospitalized patient with healthcare associated pneumonia based on clinical and radiological evidence; III, upper or lower respiratory illness within 2 weeks after exposure to a confirmed or probable case of MERS-CoV; IV, unexplained acute febrile (>38°C) illness, and body aches, headache, diarrhea, or nausea/vomiting, with or without respiratory symptoms, and leukopenia (white blood cell count <3.5 × 109/L) and thrombocytopenia (platelets <150 × 109/L). Descriptions are from the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health MERS-CoV Case Definition and Surveillance Guidance–Updated June 2015 (http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/CCC/Regulations/Case%20Definition.pdf).