May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. health officials said on Monday a second case of MERS, a deadly virus first discovered in the Middle East, has been confirmed in the state of Florida.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of the virus, known formally as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, with health officials from Florida.

The CDC said in a statement the case was the second "imported" case of MERS, meaning a traveler contracted the virus in another country and brought it to U.S. shores. The first such imported case involved a man who flew from Saudi Arabia and traveled to Indiana earlier this month.