[Mother Abigail]

In addition, we have also included information from the Singapore Ministry of Health website mentioning that a paramyxovirus has been preliminarily identified from patient(s?) in Singapore. While specifics on the testing used in Singapore are not available in the MOH press release, this is now the third location to preliminarily identify paramyxovirus from specimens taken from SARS patients.

Once a viral agent has been identified and confirmed from multiple patients, in multiple geographic locations and specific tests for the virus have been developed, more of the suspected cases of SARS can be tested to see if they have evidence of recent infection with the identified virus. This "step-wise" process is important to confirm that the agent is in fact the agent responsible for SARS. - Mod.MPP]

[Evidence is accumulating that the etiologic agent of SARS is a paramyxovirus. The report from Germany suggests that known paramyxovirus pathogens of humans have been excluded. The report from Hong Kong is rather vague and difficult to evaluate in the absence of precise information on the nature of the PCR-primers employed or the identity of the product sequenced. The limited evidence available at present suggests that the putative agent of SARS is a novel paramyxovirus rather than a known paramyxovirus exhibiting atypical pathogenicity.
A variety of novel paramyxoviruses have been characterized in recent years, some of which have been listed in my comment to "PRO/EDR> Severe acute respiratory syndrome

[Domestic Church]

"The limited evidence available at present suggests that the putative agent of SARS is a novel paramyxovirus rather than a known paramyxovirus exhibiting atypical pathogenicity."

Time to read between the lines.

I am assuming hendra/nipah has been explicitly ruled out since they have been known for 5 years now. Nipah appeared to be 50% down the tubes...nasty enough on it's own.