The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has infected more than 500 people since it was first identified in 2012. About 30 percent of those who contract it die. The steep increase in the number of cases in recent months, and the fact that people in Asia, Europe and North America have come down with the virus, have raised concern that the situation may worsen. VOA’s Carol Pearson looks at how health officials are preparing for pandemics.
