BREAKING BIG: POSSIBLE PATHOGEN DETECTED IN SARS CASE

PROMED ^ | 03-18-03

[Mother Abigail]

Paramyxovirus-like particles identified by electron microscopy

Numerous tests have been performed on the 3 patients admitted on Saturday 15 March to the Isolation Unit at Frankfurt am Main with suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Tests from respiratory specimens for influenza A and B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, enteroviruses, _Mycoplasma pneumoniae_ and _Chlamydia_ spp. by antigen enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were all negative; antibody tests for dengue, influenza A and B, measles, hantaviruses, _Mycoplasma pneumoniae_ and _Chlamydia_ spp. were likewise negative or unremarkable so far; further test results are pending.

Particles morphologically resembling paramyxoviruses were seen in respiratory specimens (throat swab and sputum) obtained from the index patient, a doctor from Singapore, by the teams in Marburg and in Frankfurt am Main.

It remains to be seen whether this finding can be confirmed -- tests including low-stringency paramyxovirus PCR and tissue culture are currently under way in Hamburg, in Marburg and in Frankfurt am Main. It needs to be emphasised that at this time these preliminary results only indicate a suspicion. Furthermore, even if the presence of a paramyxovirus was confirmed, it is not clear at this stage whether this might represent the causal agent of SARS or rather a coincidental finding.

[CathyRyan]

now seems to be waning

Question is where did the American pick it up from? What are the chances he was in a quarantine ward?

[Mother Abigail]

See post #150

[Mother Abigail]

See post #150

[Mother Abigail]

See post #150

[arasina]

There's a similar thread here on FR that is more easily understood:

Mysterious Asian Illness May Be Brand New Disease

[Mother Abigail]

RE: Contact

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd. each have one employee with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the South China Morning Post said, citing the wife of one of the sick employees.

Rob Saunders, a Cathay Pacific flight engineer and a father of two, is the first victim of the outbreak to be publicly identified, the newspaper said. His children have been temporarily withdrawn from school as a precaution and are healthy, it said.

Not good

[Judith Anne]

I just got shivers...wonder if these threads are the observation of a huge pandemic...

[Mother Abigail]

Thank you,

This thread and others in the last few days are a bit more clinical in nature.

Freepers want to know....

[Mother Abigail]

"For us non-medical types, all I want to know is - Am I or my loved ones going to get sick and die?"

There is no need to be concerned at this point.

This is an exotic disease in a far off land. Some people who are going to Asia are returning infected.

Some freepers study and work with these little bugs and find them fascinating. We tend to get excited when events like this occur.

I am sorry it took so long to respond, this has been a very hectic morning.

And I am sorry if this thread in any way caused you concern for your family.

We are just trying to learn

Regards..

[Mother Abigail]

We watch, we post and we can pray.

Out of our hands child..

[far sider]

>>So far I've learned you can get chlamydia from an arthropod,

>Does that mean you'll stop going on blind dates with arthropods?

Ladies, stay away from this guy.

[Judith Anne]

Charming of you to call this granny "child." ;-D

[Mother Abigail]

Everything is relative...

[HardStarboard]

>>> In general, paramyxoviruses only infect vertebrates and no arthropod vectors are known. <<<

Well, that clears it up.

{/sarcasm}

[Judith Anne]

Translation: Only animals that have a spine get these viruses, as far as we know, ticks can't transmit them.

[Mother Abigail]

MADRID, March 18 (Reuters) - Spain may have its first case of the deadly strain of pneumonia that has killed at least nine people and stricken hundreds more in Asia, Europe, the United States and Australia.

"It could be the first case but we are in no way sure that is the first case of pneumonia," Health Minister Ana Pastor told a news conference.

The unidentified patient, a 38-year-old man admitted to hospital in the western region of Extremadura, travelled to Beijing on a business trip in February, the minister said.

(February! something wrong with the timeline...)

[brewcrew]

To be honest, I wasn't very concerned at all. I tend to live my life that way, but thanks for finally putting it in terms I could understand.

As is usually the case, I have more to fear from a drunk driver on my way home tonight.

[Judith Anne]

Nor do other bugs, fleas, flies, mosquitos...as far as we know.

[CathyRyan]

and Beijing! I thought this was just Guangdong... Am I wrong?