SARS scoffs at scientists/ Disease behaves in its own way

Richmond Times Dispatch | May 23, 2003 | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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SARS scoffs at scientists
Disease behaves in its own way

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS May 23, 2003

Disease experts said yesterday that the SARS virus appears to be just as hardy in its 15th victim as its first one.

The virus' robust nature suggests it is well-adapted to reproducing inside the human body, meaning its ability to spread isn't weakening, health experts said.

There had been hope that, like some viruses, this one might lose its punch over time. However, Dr. David Heymann, the WHO's chief of communicable diseases, said that does not appear to have happened and that scientists estimate the SARS virus has passed through chains of up to 15 people.

WHO experts are still trying to determine the maximum number of people who have become infected in a single chain. Fifteen is as far as they got.

Using an incubation period of about 10 days, scientists calculated about three infections from one SARS case in a month. Tracing cases over five months' time, "that's how we come up with the 15," Heymann said. "The hypothesis still remains that this all came from one person, so it has passed through many, many people on its way out through the world."

SARS is believed to have first surfaced in November in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Scientists have traced some infections today back to one original case in the province, but more studies are being done on its spread.

More than 8,000 people have been infected worldwide, with a death toll of 684. In recent weeks, the island of Taiwan has been hardest-hit, with 20,000 people in quarantine and health experts talking about the need for more quarantine space.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said yesterday that doctors' difficulty in diagnosing SARS cases may have led to hospital outbreaks in both Taiwan and Singapore.

In Taiwan's capital of Taipei, a CDC expert with SARS symptoms was being whisked back to the United States, officials said.

The CDC would not identify the epidemiologist but said he would return home and enter an Atlanta hospital this weekend. Taiwan's health chief said an X-ray did not indicate pneumonia and the doctor did not test positive for SARS. He could, however, be in the very early stages of the disease.

Taiwan reported eight new SARS deaths and 65 more cases, its biggest one-day jump, bringing its total to 483 cases and 60 deaths. That gives the island the third-highest toll after mainland China and Hong Kong.

The World Health Organization announced it is launching a fund to help Asian nations combat the virus. The U.N. agency said it is seeking $200 million to boost surveillance and analysis in China and other hard-hit nations.

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SARS scoffs at scientists

Impudent little bug, just sitting there on the slide thumbing it's one-celled nose at the Lab Coats and laughing.

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bttt

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Bump for future reference (if I'm still alive to read it).

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Was this reported before the Dr. from the CDC came dowm with SARS? And had to be flown back to Atlanta with 4 of his CDC buddies who were immediately put in quarentine? Wonder if that was a private plane?