SARS LIKELY SPREAD THROUGH HONG KONG APARTMENT'S SEWAGE PIPES

Canadian Press ^ | Thursday, April 17, 2003 | MIN LEE

[11th_VA]

Your mother was right, wash your hands ...

[11th_VA]

And don't let your pets do this ...

[Cicero]

Thank you, China, for covering this up for more than three months.

[SauronOfMordor]

Rats and cockroaches also may have spread SARS, but only incidentally after they picked it up around the apartments, Yeoh told a news conference.

Sounds like a nice, upscale building (/sarcasm)

We'd better not have an outbreak in our inner-city "project" buildings

[boxerblues]

but its a never ending bowl of ice cold water!

[11th_VA]

Thank you, China, for covering this up for more than three months.

I don't think the 'Gay Pride' community is gonna wanna let this one out either ...

[mewzilla]

Can upper respiratory tract viruses be spread through contact wirth feces? I didn't even know virus was shed in the feces.

[TheBigB]

Certainly. The Hantavirus, also an upper respiratory virus, can be spread through dried feces of field mice.

[mewzilla]

Thanks for the info. I'd forgotten about Hanta. So in addition to washing one's hands frequently, it's probably also a good idea to drop the lid before you flush.

[thinking]

Given the common sexual practices of today, you may want to re-think your question....oral, anal sexual contact is the route for this disease.......

[Smokin' Joe]

How did you teach your dog not to throw up on the carpet after a hard night partying, anyway?

[honway]

The CDC reported 149 cases in the U.S. on 7 Apr.

199 cases were reported on 15 Apr.

This is the first week the cases have not doubled since the CDC started tracking SARS in the U.S. This is a good sign, imo.

[valkyrieanne]

Of course. There are *lots* of viruses that are shed in feces. People occasionally get polio from contact with diapers of recently-vaccinated infants. Hepatitis of various sorts is passed in feces.

[per loin]

it apparently moved up through people's bathroom drains when U-shaped water seals dried out

That would only happen if no one was using the plumbing fixture for a considerable length of time. Hong Kong is not in the Sahara.

[TheBigB]

199 "suspected" cases. Ive seen reports that the US has been using looser standards for definition, so as not to miss any. Later this week, when standards are tightened, I expect there to be no more than 40-50 actual SARS cases verified here in the States.

[honway]

I expect there to be no more than 40-50 actual SARS cases verified here in the States.

Even better news. Thanks.

[aristeides]

Unfortunately, many toilets (including those in the building where I work) don't have lids any more.

[aristeides]

Note that the story says no airborne transmission.

[mewzilla]

You really have to wonder about that. I really appreciate the faucets and driers that run on sensors so you don't have to touch anything. Doors that you can push open upon leaving so you don't have to touch a handle. You'd think that when these areas are designed, public health needs would be taken into account. Sigh.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Actually, it's deer mice out here.

The rule is: don't breath dried deer mouse urine.

That's not as easy as it seems when the mice urinate in woodpiles, grass piles, dirtpiles, gardens, lawns, haylofts, etc. One just sprays everything with water and Chlorox before cleaning.