[Mother Abigail]

Two Theories Eyed in Illness

By Laurie Garrett

STAFF WRITER

March 26, 2003

Officials pursuing the cause of the mysterious illness reported in 13 countries so far offered two possible theories yesterday to explain the findings of three disparate viruses:

The disease could be caused by a combination of typically benign viruses, producing a virulent double impact on the human immune system.

Or, more puzzlingly, none of the viruses found so far is to blame - that these microbes may be so common that their presence in patient tissue specimens is simply a coincidence

[Mother Abigail]

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[Mother Abigail]

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German and Hong Kong scientists so far have found a virus that belongs to the paramyxovirus family, which includes measles.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified a coronavirus, suggesting that the disease is caused by new mutant form of a common cold virus.

A lab in Canada has found a metapneumovirus, known to produce fairly mild sniffles and sore throats in children, though severe cases leading to pneumonia have been reported.

[apologist]

Or, more puzzlingly, none of the viruses found so far is to blame - that these microbes may be so common that their presence in patient tissue specimens is simply a coincidence

I'm curious why it's so hard to find the culprit; if it's so contagious (which it seems to be), shouldn't a patient just be able to cough up a bunch of whatever viruses (virii?) are being spread around?