Recently two cases of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been reported in the U.S.  For more information -the following link (thx to Mike Hart) may be useful:  www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/MERS/index.html<http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/MERS/index.html

From the CDC: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is viral respiratory illness first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012. It is caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. Most people who have been confirmed to have MERS-CoV infection developed severe acute respiratory illness. They had fever, cough, and shortness of breath. About 30% of these people died.

So far, all the cases have been linked to countries in the Arabian Peninsula. This virus has spread from ill people to others through close contact, such as caring for or living with an infected person. However, there is no evidence of sustained spreading in community settings.