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Mystery illness on the move
GENEVA, Switzerland -- The virulent and so-far untreatable form of pneumonia that has caused widespread fear in Asia and around the world has surfaced in several more countries, health officials say. World Health Organization (WHO) officials say they are investigating suspicious cases of the deadly but mysterious illness in England, France, Israel, Slovenia and Australia, all of which previously been clear of infection. As of Monday, at least 167 new or suspected cases of the pneumonia -- including four deaths -- had been reported around the world, WHO said. But this number could be bolstered further, following reports Tuesday that the number of victims in Hong Kong had doubled to more than 80. Most of the cases to emerge in the past three weeks have involved health workers in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore. China said 350 people had what appeared to be the same illness in an outbreak that began last November in Guangdong province. Of the nine deaths so far attributed to the mystery ailment, five occurred in the Guangdong outbreak. The World Health Organization has stepped up its response to the infectious form of pneumonia, the cause of which is not known and which does not appear to respond to standard treatments. The disease, dubbed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), is spread from person to person, but apparently only through sustained close contact, WHO communications director Dick Thompson told CNN. Nearly all the cases have occurred among family members or health workers involved in the direct care of suspected cases. The WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network -- 11 laboratories in 10 countries -- is coordinating the effort to identify the cause of the illness. A WHO team is being assembled to travel to Guangdong Province in China, whose Ministry of Health has requested support. The WHO has identified the outbreak as "a worldwide threat" and said that in addition to places where the disease is concentrated, cases also have been identified Canada, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. A WHO health worker is among the people stricken. He is in stable condition in isolation in Hanoi, Thompson said. WHO has called upon national health authorities to be alert to suspected cases, but has said, "There is no current justification for any restriction in travel or trade." Through its office in Manila, Philippines, the U.N. agency is establishing logistics bases and supply chains to ensure equipment and medicines needed for outbreak response are available. Airlines on alertBecause the disease is so little understood, WHO has asked national health authorities to be alert to suspected cases. Airlines in China, Vietnam, Australia, Japan and New Zealand have ordered staff not to check in any passengers who show signs of the illness, according to wire reports. Symptoms include a fever of more than 38.3 degrees Celsius (101 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. A number of patients have developed severe pneumonia, and some have been put on ventilators. But a statement from the WHO statement said, "There is no current justification for any restriction in travel or trade." The U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, advised the public to postpone "nonessential travel" to those parts of Asia where the pneumonia has surfaced. The unknown strain of pneumonia has already impacted heavily upon the travel industry, as tourists shy away both from flying in general and from specific destinations where the illness has taken hold. Hong Kong's South China morning Post quoted a travel industry spokesman as saying tour bookings from Southeast Asia into Hong Kong had fallen by about 80 percent. Some music acts had canceled planned appearances in the city and New Zealand's rugby sevens team was said to be reassessing whether to compete in a competition following government warnings advising against travel to the region. Many passengers arriving at the usually bustling Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong were wearing surgical to guard against the pneumonia outbreak. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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