[Nebullis]

The (SARS) virus has not been identified in any great detail, but we do know that it is transmitted from human to human, which would indicate it's probably not the Nipah or Henda virus. The Paramyxovirus family is huge. (Horses, not zebras...)

[Mother Abigail]

SARS virus similar to one for measles

Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit disclosed that preliminary findings identified the virus causing the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) as being very similar to paramyxovirus, the family of microbes that causes measles, mumps and canine distemper.

Researchers in Hong Kong have also identified a member of the paramyxoviridae family, which includes paramyxovirus, as causing the recent SARS outbreak, according to local media reports Wednesday.

This horse may have a stripe or two

We shall see, my best guesstimate at this time would be a new strain of Henipavirus.

Regards

[Mother Abigail]

PARIS, March 19 (Reuters) - France reported its first suspected case of a deadly strain of pneumonia on Wednesday which is thought to have killed at least 14 people and sparked worldwide alarm.

Health Minister Jean-Francois Mattei said in parliament the case had been authenticated, but a health ministry official later clarified that the minister was referring to a suspected case which had yet to be confirmed.

"A case has been authenticated in France and it came from Hanoi," Mattei told parliament during question time. "This shows the situation is not under control yet and we remain on maximum sanitary alert."

French daily Le Figaro reported on Wednesday that several patients at the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris were thought to have the disease, but a doctor from the hospital's infectious diseases department said this was not true.

"We have no suspected case and no probable case," said Dr Philippe Bossi

[Mother Abigail]

I take your point about human to human transmission.

However remember the Malaysian viral epidemic in 1999, where a Hendra-like virus struck over
200 people.

This transmission was from pigs to humans, where the Hendra-like virus changed its pattern of disease. Affected pigs develop a respiratory illness, while in humans the virus caused encephalitis.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission in this outbreak. But the Hendra-like virus had a genetic makeup that was 90% similar to the Hendra
virus.

It would not be out of the realm of possibility for one of these "Hendra-like" mutations to pass from pigs to humans again. With better transmission properties...

South China = pig transmitted bugs
IMHO

Just thinking out loud...