SARS: India on red alert

Hindustan Times ^

[per loin]

SARS: India on red alert

HT Correspondent New Delhi, April 22
A red alert has been announced across the country to deal with the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). All state health ministers and secretaries will meet on Thursday to lay out a plan of action. In Delhi on Tuesday, a 29-year-old woman who arrived from Guangdong Province in China was admitted at the infectious diseases hospital. Doctors say her case seems to fit the clinical definition of SARS, but they are awaiting test results. Two other cases — a man each in Jaipur and Nashik, both back from the US — are in hospital with SARS-like symptoms, but Director General Health Services (DGHS) Dr SP Aggarwal said they seemed unlikely to be SARS-afflicted. Responding to members' queries on SARS in the Lok Sabha during zero hour, Health Minister Sushma Swaraj said there was no need for panic. "We are fully geared to meet the challenge," she said. "There is no negligence, there is no apathy, I assure you," she said as MPs alleged that airports were ill-equipped to deal with the situation. Swaraj, who will head the meeting on Thursday, told members the World Health Organization had appreciated India's efficient handling of the situation. She also said Indian doctors had proved they were capable of identifying and treating SARS cases without external help. Though she ruled out cancellation of all international flights as it was unfeasible, the health minister assured the House there was a fool-proof mechanism at airports for screening overseas passengers. Suspect cases were quarantined and allowed to go only after urine, blood, sputum and nasal discharge samples had tested negative. Swaraj also said a central control room in her ministry headed by the DGHS was keeping a watch on developments. Health counters manned by doctors have been set up at 12 international and nine customs airports. Swaraj also refuted the Opposition's claim that the government was concealing SARS cases. "We are hiding nothing and we update the media every day so that nothing is left to assumption," she said. In Pune, doctors have quarantined 25 guests and the priest who were at the wedding of Julie D’Silva, (who tested positive for SARS on Monday along with her brother and mother).                                  ************************

[per loin]

Envision the slums of Mumbai in which about 60% of its 15 million people live. In some of the worst slums, 1000 people share a single water tap and toilet.

[sphinx]

"There is no negligence, there is no apathy, I assure you," she said as MPs alleged that airports were ill-equipped to deal with the situation.

I wuz followin' along fine 'till he mentioned airports. Delhi wasn't bad, aside from the cockroach the size of a small SUV, but Trivandrum ....

Better just nuke the whole country while we've still got a chance to head things off.

[CathyRyan]

I have been seeing the word Mumbai and I thought there were talking about some place in Africa. LOL

[Fitzcarraldo]

The SARS virus resembles corona viruses from other species. Has the lethality with respect to say, farm animals, been established?

What if this was designed as a universal virus that would affect both humans and their lifestock?

[per loin]

Articles from India say that the Institute of Virology tests for the presense of the virus. They call it a lab test rather than a diagnostic one, though I'm not sure I fully understand the difference. Perhaps one of the medical people here could explain it.

[per loin]

It does sound like it should be somewhere west of Mombassa. I don't understand why Bombay uses an alias.

[CathyRyan]

Doesn't India have alot of monkeys hanging out around tourists stealing food and stuff. Could one get infected from eating leftover food.

[Dog Gone]

Indian authorities are looking for the taxi driver who drove that wedding party that came down with SARS. So far, no luck.

[Hammerhead]

ug

[per loin]

I understand they proved the coronavirus hypotheses by infecting monkeys with the virus and having them exhibit the same symptoms as humans. Does that likely mean that monkeys and humans will be able to pass the virus back and forth? I can't see monkeys obeying quarantine restrictions voluntarily.

[Domestic Church]

Sounds like they consider it an indicator but not a definitive test for diagnosis. Wasn't Germany producing a new diagnostic for this?(or was it some place up in BC?)

[per loin]

India has servants, lots of them because labor is so cheap. I've not heard that any of them associated with this wedding have been quarantined.

[per loin]

Wouldn't finding the virus be definative?

[vetvetdoug]

Monkeys would be a disaster in the environment infected with SARS.

[Domestic Church]

"Does that likely mean that monkeys and humans will be able to pass the virus back and forth? I can't see monkeys obeying quarantine restrictions voluntarily."

I don't know whether to laugh or cry, per loin!

Certainly sounds plausible. For all we know this could wipe out some other primates as well and even other mammals since the closest thing we can compare it with is a rat virus.

Also note that Foshan U, being known for its animal husbandry division would likely have plenty of monkeys for testing.

[Domestic Church]

But it says they are "testing for the presence" of the virus. They aren't saying they are actually finding the virus itself under electron microscopy. Maybe they are testing for a molecular biochemical trail. I'm guessing there is a possibility a positive result could be an indicator for some other entity as well. They didn't specify the test or indicate it was what the German and the Netherlands microbiologists used. Who knows. Add the mysterious bumping off of microbiologists to this and maybe they don't want anyone to know what they know,lol.

[panaxanax]

The whole world needs to be on Red Alert concerning SARS

Two confirmed cases in the Albany, NY area according to our daughter-in-law doctor. It's here!

[riri]

Oh my. I have family in Albany, is this in the news anywhere?

[per loin]

Thanks for clarifying. I know nothing about microbiology. Nothing.

[per loin]

I take that back about the servants. Just saw an article that mentions them also being quarantined.