- N.C. health officials have identified two possible cases
-- the first in the Carolinas -- of the mysterious flu-like illness that
recently appeared in people living in or traveling to Asia.
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- The N.C. cases from Wake and Orange counties are among
11 suspected cases that emerged in the United States since the first reports
of illness from China only days ago.
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Dr.
Julie Gerberding said the suspected U.S. cases are people who recently
traveled to Asia and later developed fever and respiratory problems, matching
definitions for the mystery illness, called "severe acute respiratory
syndrome" or SARS.
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- The illness, for which there is no treatment, has caused
14 deaths, including five who died months ago in an outbreak in China.
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- The worldwide number of cases, including the 11 suspected
U.S. cases, now totals 264, according to the World Health Organization.
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- Most of those ill have been health-care workers in Singapore,
Hong King and Vietnam. Though so far concentrated in East Asia, cases have
cropped up as far away as Germany and Canada, spread by sick patients traveling
along airline routes.
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- There were scattered reports on Wednesday of new suspected
cases in Europe, all in patients who had traveled from Southeast Asia.
Four people suspected of having the illness are hospitalized in France.
A few probable cases have also turned up in England, Taiwan and Slovenia.
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- "This shows the situation is not under control yet,
and we remain on maximum sanitary alert," the French health minister,
Jean-Francois Mattei, said in Parliament.
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- The WHO said Wednesday it continues to receive reports
about some patients recovering from the illness, which causes severe fever
and breathing problems.
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- In North Carolina, both patients are receiving medical
care and are in good condition, state health officials said. Citing patient
confidentiality, they would not release the patients' names or ages.
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- Both exhibited symptoms of the syndrome and had traveled
to or from Asian countries in the last 10 days. Close contacts and fellow
travelers of the two people are being notified, and laboratory specimens
have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.
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- The syndrome can be deadly, so rapid identification and
treatment is important, said State Health Director Leah Devlin.
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- "Respiratory illnesses are very common at this time
of year," Devlin said. "Symptoms alone should not be a cause
of heightened concern."
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- The CDC's Gerberding declined to name the locations of
other cases, but one is a patient from Albuquerque, N.M., who recently
returned from Hong Kong. The patient is in a hospital's respiratory isolation
unit, New Mexico health officials said Wednesday.
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- Although more cases could be identified in the United
States, people who haven't recently traveled to affected areas in Asia
shouldn't worry, Gerberding said.
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- Around the world, labs are examining samples for signs
of paramyxovirus after German and Hong Kong health officials reported finding
it in case specimens there. WHO said its labs now will study other samples
to see if the same virus is present.
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- "There is now a clue about what might be causing
this," said Dr. David Heymann, WHO communicable diseases chief. "This
clue will make it easier to diagnose patients."
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- But Gerberding and other experts cautioned that it's
still too soon to be sure this is the culprit behind the mystery illness.
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- Paramyxovirus is part of a family of viruses that include
respiratory syncytical virus and parainfluenza viruses as well as those
that cause such common childhood illnesses as mumps and measles.
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- "My suspicion is it may be a new virus within that
family," said Dr. Larry Anderson, a CDC virus expert.
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- Investigators said Wednesday that seven of those infected,
including one who died, all stayed on or visited the same floor of Hong
Kong's Metropole Hotel before the outbreak prompted a global alert. The
discovery may be significant, because until now officials have said close
personal contact is necessary to catch the illness.
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- "It would suggest that it spread through the air-conditioning
system, but you can't rule out person-to-person contact, since you don't
know if they were even in the same room together," said Ronald Atlas,
president of the American Society of Microbiology. "But everything
says it is airborne."
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- Most scientists believe the new disease first emerged
in China, in the southern province of Guangdong, late last year, and international
health officials say that the initial lack of cooperation from China in
reporting its data has seriously hampered their efforts to understand a
new global health threat.
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- The Bush administration said Wednesday it wants to spend
$100 million to work toward vaccines to shield Americans from global outbreaks
of new flu strains.
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- People who began experiencing unexplained respiratory
illness on or after Feb. 1, 2003, and who meet the above criteria should
seek medical attention and should inform their health care provider about
their recent travel or possible exposure to SARS.
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- Wednesday, the Mecklenburg County Health Department asked
local physicians to be on the alert for any patients who have symptoms
consistent with SARS.
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- Signs to watch for include fever, one or more signs of
respiratory illness (such as cough, shortness of breath or pneumonia),
and a history of travel to Asian countries where the syndrome recently
surfaced.
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- People who have had close contact with anyone who has
visited those countries should also be questioned about symptoms.
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- Physicians who identify a possible infection should contact
the Health Department or the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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- "We do this for any emerging health problem,"
said Carmel Clements, director of communicable disease for the Health Department.
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- "We want to make sure that all the physicians and
health-care workers in our area know what to do in the event that they
suspect a disease such as SARS."
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- Clements said the Health Department has been contacted
several times this week by travelers who are concerned they might be at
risk.
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- More information:
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- CDC: <http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars,>www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars,
1-888-246-2675.
- World Health Organization: <http://www.who.int/en/>www.who.int/en/
- Mecklenburg health department, 704-336-6438
- http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observ...cal/5434933.htm
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