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BREAKING BIG: POSSIBLE PATHOGEN DETECTED IN SARS CASE
PROMED ^ | 03-18-03

Posted on 03/18/2003 10:12:00 AM PST by Mother Abigail

Paramyxovirus-like particles identified by electron microscopy

Numerous tests have been performed on the 3 patients admitted on Saturday 15 March to the Isolation Unit at Frankfurt am Main with suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Tests from respiratory specimens for influenza A and B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, enteroviruses, _Mycoplasma pneumoniae_ and _Chlamydia_ spp. by antigen enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were all negative; antibody tests for dengue, influenza A and B, measles, hantaviruses, _Mycoplasma pneumoniae_ and _Chlamydia_ spp. were likewise negative or unremarkable so far; further test results are pending.

Particles morphologically resembling paramyxoviruses were seen in respiratory specimens (throat swab and sputum) obtained from the index patient, a doctor from Singapore, by the teams in Marburg and in Frankfurt am Main.

It remains to be seen whether this finding can be confirmed -- tests including low-stringency paramyxovirus PCR and tissue culture are currently under way in Hamburg, in Marburg and in Frankfurt am Main. It needs to be emphasised that at this time these preliminary results only indicate a suspicion. Furthermore, even if the presence of a paramyxovirus was confirmed, it is not clear at this stage whether this might represent the causal agent of SARS or rather a coincidental finding.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: atypicalpneumonia; chlamydia; epidemic; paramyxovirus; sars; spanishflu; virus
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1 posted on 03/18/2003 10:12:00 AM PST by Mother Abigail
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To: Mother Abigail
This is some scary sh-t!!!
2 posted on 03/18/2003 10:13:55 AM PST by Saundra Duffy
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To: Mother Abigail
English ?
3 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:14 AM PST by VRWC_minion (Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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To: Mother Abigail
Can someone translate this for us "lay-men?"

BIOWAR or new type of virus?
4 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:15 AM PST by TSgt (“If I do my full duty, the rest will take care of itself.” - General George S. Patton)
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To: Mother Abigail
I tried to read this and all I got was this:

"Blah blah blah blah Influenza blah blah blah blah"

5 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:48 AM PST by smith288 ("The reason I am not a liberal is because im not as certain about my guesswork" -Dennis Miller)
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To: Mother Abigail
I tried to read this and all I got was this:

"Blah blah blah blah Influenza blah blah blah blah"

6 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:48 AM PST by smith288 ("The reason I am not a liberal is because im not as certain about my guesswork" -Dennis Miller)
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To: MikeWUSAF
Can someone translate this for us "lay-men?"

Same here. I don't know what this means.

7 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:48 AM PST by Snowy (My golden retriever can lick your honor student)
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To: Mother Abigail
How about a translation into a clearly understood syntax for us lay folks?
8 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:57 AM PST by vharlow
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To: Mother Abigail
Can someone translate this medical gobble-e-goop?
9 posted on 03/18/2003 10:15:57 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (Let's Roll)
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To: the_doc
Ping
10 posted on 03/18/2003 10:16:38 AM PST by RnMomof7
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To: VRWC_minion
English ?

Whew! I thought I was the only one without a clue.

11 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:10 AM PST by Dianna
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To: Mother Abigail
Hmm..
12 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:10 AM PST by EternalHope (France and Germany are with the terrorists.)
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To: MikeWUSAF
Preiser's caution on the interpretation of these results is paramount here: "It needs to be emphasised that at this point of time these preliminary results only indicate a suspicion. Furthermore, even if the presence of a paramyxovirus was confirmed, it is not clear at this stage whether this might represent the causal agent of SARS or rather a coincidental finding."

Confirmation of these findings will be important as well as identification of a similar agent from additional cases of SARS will be necessary before it can be concluded that this agent is the etiology of SARS. - Mod.MPP]

[Paramyxoviruses are viruses associated predominantly with respiratory infections (the parainfluenza viruses, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)) and common childhood illnesses (mumps and measles).

Some of these viruses are ubiquitous (in particular human RSV) and it would not be exceptional to detect one of these viruses fortuitously by electron microscopy in any virus screening exercise. In general, paramyxoviruses only infect vertebrates and no arthropod vectors are known.


Unexpectedly, in recent years several new paramyxoviruses have been discovered. Predominant among these are _Hendra virus_ and _Nipah virus_, 2 related viruses isolated from bats in Australia and South East Asia, which have been responsible for outbreaks of severe disease in the human population. These two viruses differ significantly from other paramyxoviruses in molecular terms and might not be detected by PCR without the use of specific primers.

Other novel paramyxoviruses of unknown pathogenic potential are _Salem virus_, isolated from a horse in North America, _Tupaia paramyxovirus_, isolated from a tree shrew (_Tupaia_ sp.) in Thailand, and a heterogeneous collection of paramyxoviruses isolated from snakes, lizards, and turtles. Perhaps the most surprising discovery was the recent characterization of a novel pneumovirus (that is, a member of the sub-family _Pneumovirinae_ of the family _Paramyxoviridae)), designated _Human metapneumovirus_, which is associated with respiratory illness in infancy worldwide. Consequently a novel paramyxovirus must rank high among candidates for the etiologic agent of SARS. - Mod.CP]
13 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:10 AM PST by Mother Abigail
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To: Saundra Duffy
Yes, please translate!
14 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:25 AM PST by landerwy
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To: MikeWUSAF
Can someone translate this for us "lay-men?"

It looks like a kind of virus they've seen before (assuming what they've found is the causative agent). They don't have a positive ID on it, but they've narrowed it down considerably.

15 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:45 AM PST by Oberon (This tagline intentionally left blank.)
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To: CholeraJoe; xsmommy
Ping!
16 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:45 AM PST by Constitution Day (** RALLY FOR AMERICA: Raleigh, NC ** http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/861481/posts)
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To: CholeraJoe
ping.
17 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:45 AM PST by xsmommy
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To: smith288
Like when you talk to dogs, that's all they hear.

"Blah, blah, blah, dog food, blah, blah."
18 posted on 03/18/2003 10:17:48 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: Constitution Day
GMTA!!
20 posted on 03/18/2003 10:18:03 AM PST by xsmommy
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