First Known Case of Atypical Pneumonia in Europe Quarantined in Frankfurt (with 155 passengers)

AP ^ | 15 March 2003 | AP

[July 4th]

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - A doctor from Singapore believed infected with a mysterious form of pneumonia that hit parts of Asia was taken off an airplane from New York on Saturday and quarantined in a Frankfurt hospital, German health authorities said.

The doctor, believed to be the first person in Europe to be infected with the atypical virus, was flying to Singapore from New York, where he already began to suffer symptoms, Dr. Angela Wirtz, of the Hessen state health office said in a statement.

Fearful the virus may be spreading, the Geneva-based international health organization, WHO, issued an emergency travel advisory Saturday.

Outbreaks of the disease have been reported in southern China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Unconfirmed new cases have been reported in Vietnam and Taiwan, as well as two deaths in Canada.

Two people accompanying the doctor also were taken off the Singapore Airlines flight during a stopover in Frankfurt and admitted to the Wolfgang Goethe University Clinic in Frankfurt, the statement said.

Another 155 passengers who deplaned in Frankfurt were being temporarily held in quarantine at the airport, the statement said. The 85 passengers bound for Singapore, as well as the plane's 20 crew members, continued their journey and will be met by health officials upon their arrival.

[Eala]

WHO stated in a statement Wednesday that the outbreak appeared to begin with a single case in Hanoi on 26 Feb 2003.

It's not clear where this came from. According to the above, the first identifiable case was an American in Vietnam, who'd been in southeastern China where there was an oubreak of "atypical pneumonia" -- though they have not proved or disproved any connection yet.

[Senator Pardek]

...people were worried about that happening naturally long before people were really concerned about biowarfare.

So many folks are unaware of the fact that microscopic "bugs" always have and always will enjoy propagating as much as humans do, with or without terrorists.

[friendly]

This is very, very scary stuff. The US emergency room health care system is in free fall collapse due to the lawyer crisis and declining revenues. This disease is medical workers worst nightmare come true. They will be completely unable to cope.

South China is a hotbed of viral mutation due to theintensive hog farming industry (the viruses rapidly pass back and forth between humans and pigs, constantly mutating). It is compleetly irresponsible of the Chinese to not release the facts of this horrigic epidemic.

[Cachelot]

Where did it emerge?

At the Hanoi French Hospital in Vietnam. The victim was an American in his fifties. He was immediately taken to Hong Kong for treatment, but later died. However: the thing spread like wildfire in the hospital in Hanoi, and later in the Hong Kong hospital. And the first reports made it cleat that this did not look like avian flu.

So, what was an American doing in Hanoi? A possible answer is that he might have been part of a trip set up for children/relatives of Americans killed in the Vietnam war. It was touted as a "cleansing" thing, for "closure", from what I hear. And these people came from all of America - indeed from all over the world. There would be possible carriers going back all over the place, and mingling...

[relee]

From the BBC

The World Health Organisation has taken the rare step of issuing an emergency travel advisory amid fears that a mystery virus which has infected scores of people in Asia may be spreading...

Hope then can stop this soon.

[Voice in your head]

"South China is a hotbed of viral mutation due to theintensive hog farming industry (the viruses rapidly pass back and forth between humans and pigs, constantly mutating)."

A small price to pay for delicious bacon.

[fella]

Did you ever see the old BBC series "Survivors" (early 80s)? It was about a chiness bio-weapon that gets accidently released by a traveling doctor before they come up with an antidote and it kills 9/10ths of the worlds population. It was fairly interesting except that they ran out of good plop-lines early on. But the first few shows were quite good at examineing the problems of out of control bio-warfare.

[homeschool mama]

I wasn't aware that's how it began. We'll be studying that era of history soon...it's time for further research! :o)

[MigrantOkie]

It was fairly interesting except that they ran out of good plop-lines early on."

I could see how it would be hard to keep coming up with good "plop" lines every time someone plopped what with 9/10ths of the worlds population dying off and all. ;-)

[ExSES]

Where did it emerge?

From the set of the movie "12 Monkeys"?

[crazykatz]

I was a teenager when the Flu hit back in 1957. I became ill with it and since my Dad was in th Army, I was in a military hospital in S.C. It was packed woth a bunch of little kids and teens like myself. WE WERE SO SICK!! I remember thinking that my grandfather was standing next to me.... but he lived 200+ miles away. I was having "visions" and talking to people not there.

It was a HORRIBLE experience.

Had the Hong Kong flu in '68.... 1957 all over again!! EECCKS!!!

So, when they came out with the SWINE FLU alert... yep, I took that vaccine. So did my husband. I knew what FLU was like and I figured if President Ford was taking the vaccine. Well, I would too.

Well, let me tell you. On a lunch hour my husband and went to our doctor's office to get the vaccine shots. My husband took the shot first, then me.

About 4 hours later, he calls me from work and says, "Honey, I AM SO SICK... my friend is driving me home."

As soon as I put the phone down.... I actually collapsed in a heap on the floor. My oldest son, then a teen, ran for a neighbor. It was 2 days before Thanksgiving. That is all I remember. I was in the hospital when I came to...2 days AFTER THANKSGIVING.

My poor husband was also hospitalized and also had pneumonia but did real well.

If the vaccine made me that sick, well, I guess an actual full-blown case might have done me in.

[fella]

Dang! Caught by the spell-check police again.

[demnomo]

A fellow church member who is a nurse told me that the San Francisco hospital in which she works has heard a rumor about two patients who are being quarantined. Maybe, that's not unusual, but she says that they have been given a CDC health warning to be on the look-out for similar symptoms. There are a lot of flights into San Francisco from Asia. As if we don't already have stuff to worry about!!!

[bonesmccoy]

These reports of infectious disease necessitating a "global" health emergency are more political than the President's attempt to immunize health care workers against small pox.

The fact of the matter is that this disease has NOT spread to the US yet. CDC is sending investigators to other locations in order to gather data.

My suggestion is that these foreign medical centers need to run tests for Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

RSV peaks every year in the winter. We have seen an unusually wide peak in cases this year (meaning more cases for a slightly longer period of time than last year).

The disease pops up around November and lasts until March.

It creates a dry, hacking cough a few days after exposure. The virus is VERY contagious and can spread by contact or respiratory droplets.

Until a real medical lab can run real samples from the real patients, these reports are sensationalistic nonsense.

Do not fret about these types of viruses or pathogens.

US investigators, when appropriately focused, can figure out the germ in a remarkably short order.

[Milesdavislover]

This guy brought it to the country

[Judith Anne]

And a woman who was in Atlanta from Canada also has it, if I remember correctly.

[null and void]

Black plague wasn't biowarfare.....

Wrong, check your facts.

[null and void]

Beaufort SC???

[Grampa7030]

I took the swine flu shot also, while I was in college. I, too, became sick from what I think was the shot. I was sick for less than a day. I never had another flu shot until 1998, six months after a case of the flu nearly killed me. I get them every year now.

[Domestic Church]

I read he was at a pharmaceutical conference so they had better round up all those at that gathering! Incubation 2-7 days on this.