SARS
From Mike:
I believe SARS is real. Whether natural or not it probably gets handled the same way. Here are two contradictory examples/opinions and my suggestions for prevention.
SARS Is NOT
Naturally-Occuring
From Patricia Doyle, PhD
dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com
3-27-3
-Hello Jeff...
According to the latest report, it does appear that
coronavirus, as well as some paramyxovirus, is involved in
SARS. As to whether or not it is the infecting agent, well,
that is yet not determined. Some scientists believe that the
coronavirus may be the etiologic agent causing the disease.
According to the article, some scientists believe that both
pathogens are part of the pathogenisis. I believe that, if
this is the case, we have a recombinent virus - that should
not occur naturally. We have a coronavirus/paramyxovirus
joining to form a disease. My best guess is that, a mycoplasma
may also be in the mix.
My belief is that the illness has an etiologic agent that has
been genetically-altered. Do I believe this is intentional
release or terrorism? No. I think that the Chinese had been
researching and altering the viruses and it simply got loose
from a Guongdong Province lab. This could be the reason that
it was first identified in doctors from the province.
I will keep you updated. The following does have some very
cogent statements and we need to read the articles very
closely.
So, do I think SARS is naturally occurring? NO.
Patricia Doyle
Exerpt:
''The coronavirus is the primary cause of the disease,'' said
Malik Peiris, a professor of microbiology, adding that another
virus, of the family that causes mumps, may also be involved
and increase the severity of the disease. Peiris said the new
strain had characteristics unlike any other he had ever seen.
''This is unlike any other human or animal virus ever
described before,'' he said, adding that humans may not
necessarily develop immunity to such a virus after recovering
from an infection.
''If we find they behave like a cold, you can get the same
cold again and again,'' Peiris said, warning that transmission
of such a virus occurs through droplets and can take place in
many common public areas. ''Railings, lift buttons and just
about anything touched by a person with an infection can pass
on the virus,'' he said.
Date: 27 Mar 2003 06:42 From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: AFX News - Asia [edited]
HK Researchers Announce Diagnostic Test For SARS And Confirm
Virus Source
HONG KONG (AFX) - University of Hong Kong reseachers announced
that they have developed a diagnostic test to rapidly identify
victims of an atypical pneumonia which has killed some 50
people around the world.
In a statement, the Department of Microbiology of the Faculty
of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong also said it has
confirmed previous findings that the global outbreak of
atypical pneumonia was caused by the Coronavirus.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said
earlier this week that the virus causing the global outbreak
of atypical pneumonia, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),
was from the Coronavirus group.
In their statement, the University of Hong Kong researchers
said they have "confirmed that the recent outbreak of
pneumonia is caused by the virus known as Coronavirus.
"The discovery of the agent is an important international
research breakthrough," they said, adding that the
disease should be referred to as Coronavirus Pneumonia, or CVP.
They said the diagnostic test they have developed "will
enable early and reliable diagnosies of CVP and hence early
treatment of the disease.
"The early phase diagnostic test helps infection control
by identifying which contacts have or have not acquired CVP
and ensure discharged patients will not infect the
community," they added.
The diagnostic test will be available at hospitals here
starting tomorrow, the researchers told at a press conference.
Yuen Kwok-yung, head of microbiology at the faculty of
medicine, said the virus is mainly transmitted by contact.
"Your hands are the greatest enemy," Yuen said,
adding that the virus can only survive in the air for some
three hours.
There have been more than 50 deaths and more than 1300
reported cases of SARS worldwide with the majority of the
fatalities occurring in China. The disease has claimed 10
lives Hong Kong, 4 in Vietnam and 3 in Canada.
-- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
****** [2] Date: 27 Mar 2003 From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: International Herald Tribune 27 Mar 2003 [edited]
<http://www.iht.com/articles/91278.html>
HONG KONG The government imposed quarantine
measures Thursday to impede the spread of an epidemic of
deadly pneumonia as scientists announced a breakthrough in
testing patients for the mysterious virus. Hong Kong, the
transportation hub from which the disease apparently spread
worldwide, announced the immediate quarantine of more than
1000 residents suspected of infection and shut down schools
for 1 million students. ''Hong Kong faces an epidemic that the
world has never seen before,'' said Tung Chee-hwa, the
territory's chief executive. ''This is a very, very serious
issue.''
Hong Kong has been battling a wildfire the rapid spread of the
disease for 2 weeks. The quarantine announced Friday applies
to 1080 people who had close contact with those infected by
the disease. Nearly 1000 other people who had social contact
with infected patients will undergo surveillance. Penalties
for breaking domestic quarantine include a fine of 5000 Hong
Kong dollars (about USD 640) , obligatory confinement and 6
months in prison. The Hong Kong measures came a day after
Singapore undertook similar moves. Singapore, by contrast,
cancelled all schools and instituted draconian quarantine
measures shortly after the first sign of infection appeared.
''We are favor of any measure within the law that will contain
a disease outbreak,'' said Peter Cordingley, a spokesman for
the World Health Organization. ''We don't have any problem
with Singapore's approach.''
The most secretive least forthcoming country, however, has
been China, which on Wednesday acknowledged the presence of
the atypical pneumonia for the first time, announcing the
highest number of infected patients and fatalities in the
world. The Chinese authorities also said the situation was
''basically under control,'' hoping to avert the panic that
took place several months ago over outbreak of pneumonia now
thought to be linked to the current crisis.
Popular worries were evident throughout Hong Kong on Thursday
as a growing proportion of the public put on face masks while
walking in public areas.
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong announced
successful DNA sequencing of a virus that they say causes the
disease. The finding, if confirmed by the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, could allow creation of a
rapid diagnostic test and reduce death rates by allowing
doctors to identify affected patients sooner.
The illness, severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, has
killed at least 53 people, mostly in Asia, and infected 1300
in more than a dozen countries. The group of microbiologists
from the University of Hong Kong identified the virus as a new
strain from the family of coronaviruses, highly contagious
viruses that are the second leading cause of colds in humans.
''The coronavirus is the primary cause of the disease,'' said
Malik Peiris, a professor of microbiology, adding that another
virus, of the family that causes mumps, may also be involved
and increase the severity of the disease. Peiris said the new
strain had characteristics unlike any other he had ever seen.
''This is unlike any other human or animal virus ever
described before,'' he said, adding that humans may not
necessarily develop immunity to such a virus after recovering
from an infection.
''If we find they behave like a cold, you can get the same
cold again and again,'' Peiris said, warning that transmission
of such a virus occurs through droplets and can take place in
many common public areas. ''Railings, lift buttons and just
about anything touched by a person with an infection can pass
on the virus,'' he said.
To avoid infection, he warned people to wash their hands
frequently, avoid touching the eyes, mouth or nose and wipe
down with rubbing alcohol. ''The virus is easily killed with
rubbing alcohol,'' Peiris said. ''Wear a mask if you want, but
make sure not to touch your face with your hands when
adjusting it.''
Peiris said his findings supported the multiple drug treatment
with ribavirin and steroids currently administered to
patients. The ribavirin suppresses growth of the virus, while
the steroids mitigate damage caused by the body's own immune
reaction.
[byline: Thomas Crampton]
-- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
****** [3] Date: 27 Mar 2003 From: ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
Source: Reuters 27 Mar 2003 10:50 EST [edited]
BERLIN (Reuters) - Microbiologist Bernhard
Fleischer, head of Hamburg's Bernhard Nocht Institute for
Tropical Medicine (BNI), said his institute had probably
identified the virus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS).
"I don't assume that there will be a worldwide epidemic
which will spread among the population," Fleischer told
Reuters in an interview. "We are lucky that this disease
is not as contagious and does not spread as easily as first
assumed."
Scientists from the BNI, Germany's top tropical diseases
institute, worked on identifying the virus by analyzing tissue
samples taken from a doctor from Singapore who was being
treated in Frankfurt after showing symptoms of SARS. Fleischer
said his institute had developed a test with which experts
could detect within one or two hours whether a patient had
caught the virus.
A group of microbiologists from the University of Hong Kong
said on Thursday they had also identified a virus and believe
it is a new strain from the family of coronaviruses, the
second-leading cause of colds in humans. The finding is
consistent with tests conducted by the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Coronaviruses, so named because they have a crown-like
appearance when seen under a microscope, are often responsible
for upper respiratory infections in premature infants.
Fleischer said he believed it is spread through droplets by
sneezing and coughing and therefore can only be caught through
very close contact with an infected person. "I expect it
to abate in the next few weeks," he added. Fleischer also
said he believed the disease was not very contagious before a
patient started to show symptoms, such as high fever and
shortness of breath. Other viruses are highly contagious from
the moment of infection.
Developing a serum against SARS could take years, Fleischer
said, but he added that a new vaccination may not be necessary
as known medications against viruses could help to combat it.
"It first needs to be examined whether known and existing
medication can help," he said. The Hong Kong research
team said patients were responding well to a cocktail of
anti-viral drugs and steroids.
Fleischer said his institute and U.S. scientists had
independently found that the cause of SARS was probably a
coronavirus. It had probably been transmitted from animals to
human beings, he said. However, other labs that analyzed
samples from patients had said they found what looked like a
new kind of paramyxovirus, which causes measles and
respiratory disease in babies.
[byline: Kerstin Gehmlich]
-- ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[Hong Kong is the third location with documented local
transmission of SARS to implement quarantine measures for
known contacts of SARS cases (Singapore and Ontario Canada
have implemented similar quarantines). In addition, Hong Kong
and Singapore have closed schools in an attempt to reduce
situations of close contact that might enhance transmission.
The multiple press releases related to the identification of a
coronavirus continue to be promising, (especially if there has
been genetic sequencing of the virus), yet again caution needs
to be exerted until further confirmation that this agent is in
fact the etiologic agent of SARS. (Remembering that last week
3 independent laboratories identified a paramyxovirus from
specimens taken from SARS patients). It is also premature to
conclude that infection with this agent does not lead to the
production of protective antibodies as is suggested in one of
the newswires above. There are many questions that remain to
be answered before definitive conclusions can be drawn and
more detailed specific recommendations can be made. - Mod.MPP]
[Two of the laboratories that originally suggested that SARS
was associated with infection by an unspecified paramyxovirus
have now come into line with the CDC verdict that the
etiologic agent has the characteristics of a member of the
genus _Coronavirus_ of the family _Coronaviridae_. A consensus
seems to be appearing. Until the full details of the
scientific evidence become available, however, the final
verdict will remain in doubt in view of the earlier contrary
reports from Canada that the recently characterized human
metapneumovirus may be the etiologic agent. Some of the
information in these press reports, such as the statement
that: "The new strain had characteristics unlike any
other he (Professor Peiris) had ever seen", are not
interpretable at this stage. - Mod.CP]
Patricia A. Doyle, PhD
Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
Go with God and in Good Health
From Mike:
Well, you read that now you'd better
read this one to see what YOU think after you have heard BOTH
sides. Is China manipulating as well or is SARS real. I
think it is real but quite manageable. First
From The Christian Science Monitor
Here is another. This one from a travel agency source.
"Probable cases are more likely to have the condition,"
I nearly bust a gut laughing when I read that. OK then,
Copyright © SarsTravel.com, 2003
Meanwhile I have researched and discovered that SARS is probably VERY preventable. Below are my recommendations for strengthening the body so as one does not get SARS or gets rid of it quicker..
NOTE: If you depend upon the public system to protect you from SARS you may be asking for a heap of trouble such as vaccines and or silly excesses like washing your toilet seven times daily. Just witnessed a man in my gym practically hosing down his stationary bike with some kind of germ killer. Wonder how much toxicity is in that bottle of spray disinfectant and how much damage the excessive usage will do to his immune system.
Oops! Sure as I rant about the Gov for sure they come up with something maybe workable. See below
Update: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome --- United States, May 14, 2003CDC continues to work with state and local health departments, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other partners to investigate cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). This report provides an update on reported SARS cases worldwide and in the United States.
During November 1, 2002--May 14, 2003, a total of 7,628 SARS cases were reported to WHO from 29 countries, including the United States; 587 deaths (case-fatality proportion: 7.7%) have been reported (1). The 345 SARS cases identified in the United States have been reported from 38 states, with 281 (81%) cases classified as suspect SARS and 64 (19%) classified as probable SARS (more severe illnesses characterized by the presence of pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome) (Figure,Table) (2).
Of the 64 probable SARS patients, 44 (69%) were hospitalized, and three (5%) required mechanical ventilation. No SARS-related deaths have been reported in the United States. Of the 64 cases, 62 (97%) were attributed to international travel to areas with documented or suspected community transmission of SARS during the 10 days before illness onset; the remaining two (3%) probable cases occurred in a health-care worker who provided care to a SARS patient and a household contact of a SARS patient. Among the 62 probable SARS cases attributed to travel, 35 (56%) patients reported travel to mainland China; 18 (29%) to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; six (10%) to Singapore; three (5%) to Hanoi, Vietnam; and eight (13%) to Toronto, Canada. Seven (11%) of these 62 probable patients had visited more than one area with SARS during the 10 days before illness onset.
Laboratory testing to evaluate infection with the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has been completed for 96 cases (23 probable and 73 suspect). Of 20 probable SARS patients with complete test results, six with laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV have been identified (3,4); this number remains unchanged since the last update (5). None of the 73 suspect SARS patients evaluated has had laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV. Negative findings (i.e., the absence of antibody to SARS-CoV in convalescent serum obtained >21 days after symptom onset) have been documented for 90 cases (73 suspect and 17 probable).
Since the previous update (5), the epidemiology of SARS in the United States has not changed markedly; secondary spread to contacts such as family members and health-care workers is limited, and most cases continue to be associated with international travel to areas where SARS is being transmitted in the community. CDC has developed interim recommendations for businesses and other organizations with employees returning from areas with community transmission of SARS and for other organizations and institutions (e.g., schools) hosting persons arriving in the United States from such areas (6,7). CDC does not recommend quarantine of persons traveling to the United States from areas with SARS nor the cancellation or postponement of classes, meetings, or other gatherings that would include travelers from areas with SARS. Activities to prevent importation and spread of SARS from inbound travelers (6) include 1) pre-embarkation screening of persons traveling from areas with SARS, 2) assessment by health authorities of ill persons aboard flights arriving from areas with SARS to ensure that ill passengers are isolated and evaluated promptly and that appropriate follow-up of other passengers occurs, 3) distribution of health alert notices to travelers arriving in the United States to notify them of the importance of monitoring their health for 10 days after departure and promptly seeking medical evaluation if they have fever or respiratory symptoms, and 4) the rapid detection and isolation of persons in the United States who have traveled from an area with SARS who have symptoms compatible with early suspect SARS within 10 days of arrival.
Reported by: State and local health departments. SARS Investigative Team, CDC.
References
- World Health Organization. Cumulative number of reported cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Available at http://www.who.int/csr/sarscountry/2003_05_14/en.
- CDC. Updated interim U.S. case definition of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/casedefinition.htm.
- CDC. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and coronavirus testing---United States, 2003. MMWR 2003;52:297--302.
- CDC. Update: Severe acute respiratory syndrome---United States, 2003. MMWR 2003;52:357--60.
- CDC. Update: Severe acute respiratory syndrome---United States, 2003. MMWR 2003;52:411--3.
- CDC. Interim guidance for institutions or organizations hosting persons arriving in the United States from areas with SARS. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/hostingarrivals.htm.
- CDC. Interim guidance for businesses and other organizations with
employees returning from areas with SARS. Available at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/business_guidelines.htm.
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