37 In United States May Have SARS

Dr. Koop ^ | 03-24-03

[Mother Abigail]

The United States now has 37 suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The latest list from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 17 states with suspected cases, including New York with five, California with eight, and Texas and Hawaii with three each.

There were no immediate details of the new U.S. totals, which have increased by 15 since Friday. But the global toll of suspected and confirmed cases of the deadly respiratory illness also continued to rise.

In Hong Kong, the top hospital health official was hospitalized Sunday night with pneumonia symptoms, as health officials there announced two more deaths and another 38 people infected, the Associated Press reports.

Hong Kong Hospital Authority chief executive, Dr. William Ho, was reported in stable condition Monday, according to the AP, but it is not yet clear whether he has SARS. Officials say Ho had been going through hospitals lately to offer moral support to medical workers and patients.

In Singapore, meanwhile, the government reported 14 new cases Monday and ordered 740 people who may have been exposed to SARS to stay home for 10 days in a bid to contain the illness, the Washington Post reports.

Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang said he was invoking the Infectious Diseases Act for what could be the first time since Singapore gained independence in 1965, the Post said.

Singapore's total number of SARS cases is now 65, including 12 in intensive care. That puts it second to Hong Kong, which has 240, and ahead of Vietnam, which has 63.

The new deaths and illnesses in Singapore and Hong Kong are not yet included in the official World Health Organization tally, which now lists 15 countries, 386 cases, and 11 deaths. In addition, there are more than 300 illnesses and 5 deaths in China's Guangdong province that have yet to be officially counted.

[Mother Abigail]

Heads Up....

[riri]

OK, we've got a problem.

[jerod]

Chinese Warfare gone bad. I hope they have a vaccine.

[Black Agnes]

That's just where it's started. It will spread to non-oriental Christian nations in a hurry though.

[Tamzee]

Any idea where in NY, Texas, California and Hawaii? It could be awfully helpful to know so people can be aware to watch out for symptoms.

Thanks if anyone can fill me in or tell me where to find this info...

[riri]

Seems to be most prevalent in oriental, non-Christian nations that are enemies of the United States

Yeah, that is where it started. Now imagine it in a highly mobile, busy society that frequently shows up to work sick and sends their kids to school sick. We will surpass their numbers very quickly, I am afraid.

[Conservative Me]

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) multi-country outbreak - Update 7

Disease Outbreak Reported

22 March 2003

SARS virus isolated, new diagnostic test producing reliable results
A team of scientists in the department of microbiology, University of Hong Kong, has announced today success in culturing the viral agent that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Further progress in the development of a reliable diagnostic test was simultaneously announced by the same team.

Using a special cell line, the Hong Kong scientists isolated the virus from the lung tissue of a patient who developed pneumonia following contact with a professor from Guangdong Province in southern China. Both the professor and the contact have died.

Isolation of the virus now lays the solid foundation for very rapid development of a diagnostic test.

The Hong Kong scientists have devised a basic test, relying on the technique of neutralizing antibodies. In today’s experiments designed to determine the accuracy of the test, scientists found that it was able to detect tell-tale antibodies in sera taken from eight SARS patients. The consistency of these findings indicates that the test is reliably identifying cases of SARS infection.

This “hand-made” test will now be further developed into a more sophisticated diagnostic test. A rapid and reliable diagnostic test for SARS is urgently needed to assist the many clinicians who need a tool for rapid confirmation of genuine cases. Such a test can also help reassure the many “worried well” who are flooding health facilities as international concern about this disease and its rapid spread to new areas continues to increase.

Many common and usually self-healing illnesses mimic the symptoms of SARS in its early stage.

With the virus now isolated, scientists in Hong Kong and elsewhere can move forward quickly to characterize the agent, determine its relationship with known viruses, and establish a definitive identity. Results will be shared among 11 leading laboratories in a network set up on Monday 17 March by WHO.

Exceptionally rapid progress
Close collaboration, with findings shared daily in teleconferences and by email, has allowed advances that normally need months to take place in a matter of days.

“This spectacular achievement is an example of what the world can do when the intellectual resources of nations around the world are focused on a single problem,” says Klaus Stöhr, a WHO virologist who is coordinating the global laboratory network.

“Scientists who are by default academic competitors are now working virtually shoulder to shoulder. In less than a week, they have produced results which, in other circumstances, would likely have taken months or more. This rapid advance is fuelling the hope that SARS can and will be contained.” The virus responsible for SARS is considered by some research groups to be a member of the well-known Paramyxoviridae family. Yesterday, Canadian researchers released findings suggesting that the metapneumovirus, which belongs to this family, may be the cause.

The metapneumovirus was first discovered by Dutch scientists in June 2001 at a laboratory that is also included in the new WHO network. At the time of its discovery, the virus was known to cause respiratory disease in humans, including some cases of pneumonia, but showed a different transmission pattern and was much less severe than the SARS agent.

At this point, it cannot be ruled out that an entirely different virus from another family may be responsible for the SARS outbreak.

Identity of virus remains elusive
WHO cautions that the race to identify the SARS causative agent is by no means over. Although the virus has now been isolated, its identity remains elusive. Other research groups in the network of collaborating labs are producing hints that the causative agent may belong to another virus family.

SARS is an emerging disease, first recognized in Asia in mid-February, that has sickened over 380 persons on three continents and caused severe pneumonia in a large proportion of patients. A cumulative list of affected countries and numbers of cases and deaths is released each day on the WHO web site. Today’s data indicate that the vast majority of reported cases continue to occur in health care workers, family members and close contacts of patients.

Investigative team travelling to China
A WHO team of five experts is now en route to China to investigate the possibility that an outbreak of a disease having similar symptoms and affecting similar groups – health care workers and close contacts of patients – may be linked to the current SARS outbreak.

As of today, Hong Kong remains the most seriously affected area. Authorities there have reported a total of 222 cases in health care workers, medical students, and family members and hospital visitors who have been in close contact with patients. Of these, 217 have developed symptoms of pneumonia, and many are in serious condition.

...From World Health Org.

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Hopefully good news will follow soon...like a vaccine

[SengirV]

It would be nice to know where the F these cases are in the US. Obviously, being informed is not what the CDC considers inportant for John Q Public.

[Mother Abigail]

By Laurie Garrett

STAFF WRITER

March 21, 2003

Two New York City residents who recently traveled in China have been identified as possible cases of the mysterious respiratory disease that has sickened several hundred people in 13 nations
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Officials have identified a third suspected case, but say all three women who were examined have recovered and are unlikely to have contracted the new ailment.

The suspected cases include a Kaua'i woman who came down with a fever and respiratory illness after returning from a trip to China as well as two Wilcox Hospital healthcare workers who came into contact with her.

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HOUSTON (AP) - A Harris County woman who traveled to Hong Kong recently is among two people in Texas believed to have contracted a mysterious flu-like disease which spread through Asia and so far has killed 10 people worldwide.

The Texas Department of Health is investigating the Harris County case and another in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

[vollmond]

I hope this clears up. The Baptist World Alliance Youth World Conference will be in Hong Kong this year, starting in mid-July. Kids will be flying in from all over the world, staying less than a week, and then zipping back home. That's just long enough to get infected and fly home not showing any symptoms. The potential for a world-wide epidemic could be huge.

[riri]

CDC is in denial at the moment. And of course there are the economic implications to consider. Although, no one can shop or travel anyway if they are dead. Small oversight on the part of our officials.

[Prince Charles]

Is there a timeline of these infections that show the spikes upward in the number of cases? This would give a clue as to the incubation period.

[CathyRyan]

The incubation period for SARS is typically 2--7 days; however, isolated reports have suggested an incubation period as long as 10 days.

[CathyRyan]

I have been watching the WH press briefing and I have not heard SARS brought up yet. It does not seem to be on anyone's radar screen.

[ksen]

Thanks for keeping on this story for us.

[Petronski]

Mother, the growth rate seems to be 'blooming.'

[Petronski]

Oh, let me point out that the Toronto outbreak is especially troublesome, as it would only take one walking carrier visiting Niagara Falls to spread a hundred vectors in all directions. That place is packed with tourists from all over the world, rain or shine.

All of this within 3-5 hours of Petronski's home.