X-Message-Number: 21424 From: "Mark Plus" <> Subject: BBC: Q&A: Mystery killer illness Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 19:04:47 -0800 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2856735.stm Q&A: Mystery killer illness A lethal infection has prompted the World Health Organisation to issue a global alert to doctors and governments. The respiratory illness has so far killed at least four people, and BBC News Online reports what is understood about it so far. What do we know about the source of the infection? The first reports of an infection followed the death of a US businessman in Hong Kong last week. The man had visited China and Vietnam - hospital staff there and in Hong Kong subsequently fell ill. However, it now seems possible that he was not the source of the Hong Kong outbreak. It is possible, though not confirmed, that the initial source of the infection was China, where an outbreak of respiratory illness in Guangdong province has killed five. There have been reports of cases in other far Eastern countries, as well as in Germany, involving a passenger travelling from the US. What form does the illness take? Known symptoms of the infection are similar to those experienced by an influenza sufferer, including high fever, headache sore throat, and cough. In some cases pneumonia has developed, with patients finding it very hard to breathe - some have required artificial ventilation in hospital. In the absence of a better description, the World Health Organisation have termed it "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome" (SARS). What is it, and how is the illness transmitted? Scientists are trying to isolate the pathogen responsible for the illness. So far, testing strongly suggests that it is not a flu virus, but this has not been ruled out officially. Eliminating flu would be very good news, as this would be the toughest type of outbreak to deal with. This leaves a "shopping list" of other viruses, and a few bacteria, which might be involved. Initial reports suggest that the incubation period of the illness is less than seven days. So far, there have been 150 cases outside China and four deaths. Although not confirmed, it is likely that infection takes place through droplets of body fluids - produced by sneezing or coughing. It appears to be fairly contagious - dozens of hospital staff have fallen ill. The illness has already reached North America and Europe because of the easy availability of air travel. What can I do to protect myself? Not a great deal, should the illness become established in the UK. Professor John Oxford, a virology expert from Queen Mary's College in London, told BBC News Online: "There's no much you can do to avoid this, unless you go and live as a hermit." The Public Health Laboratory Service and Department of Health are not yet advising people not to travel to the Far East. Professor Oxford added: "If I had a holiday in the Far East booked this week, I certainly wouldn't cancel it." Some people in Hong Kong have taken to wearing face masks, but it is unclear exactly how much protection these would offer against viral particles. The illness has been compared to the 1918 flu pandemic. Is this really the case? Not really. It's fair to say that the WHO is very worried about it, particularly as they don't yet know what it is. The mortality rate for the illness is high - much higher than for normal flu or respiratory infection. However, the 1918 pandemic killed as many as 40 million, so this infection is not quite as serious yet. The WHO scientists appear to be ruling out flu as the cause of the illness - which will make it far easier to control. What are governments and experts - and airlines - doing to stop it? The WHO global alert triggered responses from health experts in dozens of countries. Doctors have been asked to look out for cases, particularly arising in patients who have recently returned from abroad, and notify public health services so that the spread of the illness can be monitored. Airlines have been asked to look out for passengers who appear unwell while checking in. They have also been advised to disinfect aircraft in a bid to stop its spread. In hospitals, staff have been instructed to use "barrier nursing" to try to prevent more infections. Will there be a vaccine soon? Producing a vaccine is not a simple process, and it is highly possible that it might not be technically possible to produce a jab against the agent causing the disease. Even if it did turn out to be a variant of the flu virus, it could be months before a vaccine against it is available. It seems very unlikely that it would turn out to be a virus covered by this year's UK flu jab. What advice does the UK government have for travellers? The Department of Health says travellers returning to the UK from any affected area since 23rd February should seek medical advice if they have suddenly developed a high fever, or one other symptom of pneumonia. These include cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, or muscle aches. At present, the government is not advising people to avoid travel to affected areas. _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21424