[Mother Abigail]

At the same time, scientists in Geneva and the United States said they believe the cause of the flu-like ailment that has stymied them for weeks could be one of the viruses that causes the common cold.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that evidence is mounting the cause is a coronavirus, a bug that can cause colds.

CDC director Dr. Julie Gerberding in Atlanta said a form of the virus unlike any seen in humans before has been found in the lungs and other tissue of some victims.
Furthermore, patients seem to develop antibodies to the virus as they get sicker with the pneumonia, Gerberding said.
T
here is no known treatment, although the World Health Organization said last week it had developed a reasonable test for diagnosing the disease. CDC scientists are skeptical of its accuracy.

[Mother Abigail]

SECTION I - INFECTIOUS AGENT
NAME: Human coronavirus

SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Viral respiratory disease, viral gastroenteritis

CHARACTERISTICS: Coronaviridae; first isolated in 1965, spherical enveloped virion, 80-160 nm in diameter, crown-like in appearance, club-shaped peplomars, single-stranded, linear, non-segmented, positive-sense RNA genome;

SECTION II - HEALTH HAZARD

PATHOGENICITY: Usually produce an afebrile cold in adults, characterized by nasal discharge, and malaise; may exacerbate respiratory symptoms in asthmatic and chronic pulmonary disease patients; implicated in gastroenteritis; greater occurrence in children; maybe associated with pneumonia and pleural reactions, rarely manifests in neurological complications; immunity is serotype specific; antigenic heterogeneity allows for multiple symptomatic reinfections

EPIDEMIOLOGY: Worldwide; major cause of respiratory disease between late fall and early winter; accounts for 10-30% of all colds

HOST RANGE: Humans

INFECTIOUS DOSE: Not known

MODE OF TRANSMISSION: By inhalation of aerosols; respiratory transmission from person-to-person; indirectly through fomites

INCUBATION PERIOD: From 2 to 5 days

COMMUNICABILITY: Communicable during the acute and convalescent stages of the disease

SECTION III - DISSEMINATION

RESERVOIR: Humans

ZOONOSIS: None

VECTORS: None

SECTION IV - VIABILITY

DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: No specific antivirals

SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde

PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Sensitive to heat

SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Survives up to 24 hours on metal surfaces at ambient conditions

SECTION V - MEDICAL

SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms; confirm by serological testing and viral isolation
FIRST AID/TREATMENT: No specific therapy

IMMUNIZATION: None available

PROPHYLAXIS: None available

SECTION VI - LABORATORY HAZARDS
LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: None reported to date

SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Nasal discharges, respiratory
secretions; stools

PRIMARY HAZARDS: Droplet exposure of the mucous membranes of the eye, nose and/or mouth; inhalation of infectious aerosols; ingestion

SECTION VII - RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS

CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices, equipment and containment facilities for activities involving virus, infectious body tissues and fluids