pneumonia outbreak
-
WHO issues emergency advisory on pneumonia outbreak
HANOI -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday issued an emergency travel advisory on fears that a mysterious form of pneumonia that hit parts of Asia may be spreading, with unconfirmed new cases reported in Vietnam and Taiwan as well as two deaths in Canada.
The Geneva-based health organisation says it has received more than 150 reports of the suspected illness, known as acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in the past week.
'SARS is now a worldwide health threat,' said Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, director general of the WHO, in a statement sent from Geneva to Hanoi. 'The world needs to work together to find its cause, cure the sick, and stop its spread.'
The advisory said there was no reason to restrict travel but urged travellers to seek medical attention if they have shown symptoms of the illness after traveling to an area with reported cases. Symptoms include coughing, high fever and shortness of breath.
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore -
Also on Saturday, two doctors and another person on their way to Singapore from New York were taken off a plane in Frankfurt, Germany, a health ministry spokesman in Singapore said on customary condition of anonymity.
She said it was not immediately clear if the doctors were already showing symptoms or if they were taken off as a precautionary measure. One of the doctors had treated an infected patient in Singapore before travelling to New York. The two doctors were hospitalised while the third person was being examined, she said.
Reports of the suspected illness have been reported in Vietnam, Hongkong, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, China, Thailand and Canada, the advisory said.
In Canada, the Canadian Press reported that a mother and son, who recently arrived from Hongkong, died in Toronto from atypical pneumonia and four of their relatives have been hospitalised.
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore -
WARNING SIGNS
Atypical pneumonia is caused by the Legionella (Legionnaire's Disease), Mycoplasma and Chlamydia bacteria. While atypical pneumonia is usually associated with milder forms of pneumonia, pneumonia caused by Legionella can be quite severe and lead to high death rates.
Symptoms:
* chills
* fevers
* cough -- may be dry or produce phlegm
* headache
* muscular stiffness and aching
* shortness of breath
* loss of appetite (anorexia)
* confusion (especially with Legionella)
* rash (especially with Mycoplasma)
* diarrhoea (especially with Legionella)
Treatment:
Antibiotic therapy: In mild cases, treatment with oral antibiotics at home may be all that is required. Severe cases (especially common with pneumonia, due to Legionella) may require intravenous antibiotics and oxygen, to aid breathing . There are no proven methods for preventing it, and no vaccinations are available at this time.
Source: University of Pennsylvania Health Illustrated Enclyclopaedia
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore -
more news
Killer flu spreads beyond Asia; 3 more die
Singaporean doctor and two companions hospitalised in Frankfurt; deaths in Hanoi and Toronto bring fatalities to nine
THE mysterious flu-like illness in Asia has spread to Europe and Canada, even as it struck seven more people in Singapore and led to a plane-load of Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers being quarantined in Frankfurt yesterday.
The global death toll climbed to nine yesterday when a nurse in a Hanoi hospital and a mother and son in Canada were reported to have died from the illness.
The SIA flight from New York was detained after the Singapore Health Ministry alerted the airline yesterday that a Singaporean doctor who had symptoms of the illness was on board.
He had treated a patient here in early March and had gone to New York on March 11 for a medical conference. While there, he fell ill with fever, the ministry said.
He and two Singaporean companions have been hospitalised in Frankfurt. The doctor is believed to be the first person in Europe to be infected with the disease.
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore -
AP said another 155 passengers who were transiting through Frankfurt were held in quarantine at the airport or sent home and told to remain there.
The remaining Singapore-bound passengers will be flown here on another flight. When they arrive, officers from the ministry and the National Environment Agency will tell them what to do if they develop symptoms of atypical pneumonia.
The ministry said yesterday that all the seven new cases here were people who had been in close contact with the victims. They were two relatives of patients and five hospital staff, bringing the total number of people infected here to 16.
All the patients are in isolation wards and their condition is stable. Though the bug responsible for the infection has not yet been identified, investigations suggest a viral origin, the ministry said.
It also 'strongly advised' that people avoid travelling to Hongkong, Hanoi and Guangdong province in China unless absolutely necessary.
The latest deaths have also prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva to issue a rare emergency travel advisory. It said it had received more than 150 reports of the illness, which it is calling 'acute respiratory syndrome', or Sars, in the past week.
'Sars is now a worldwide health threat,' said WHO director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland.
Officials said the outbreaks are unlikely to be related to terrorism.
Mr Dick Thompson, a WHO spokesman, said: 'Until we can get a grip on it, I don't see how it will slow down. People are not responding to antibiotics and antivirals, it's a highly contagious disease and it's moving around by jet. It's bad.'
The atypical pneumonia is believed to have made its way to Canada because one of the dead and two other family members had visited Hongkong recently.
In the territory, 47 people are now under observation. Two are critically ill. Anxious residents swept surgical masks off shop shelves. 'The government bought 10,000 masks for ambulance workers. How can we not be scared?' said a radio-show caller.
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore -
On Sunday, Singapore authorities said they will not quarantine 105 passengers and crew who were travelling on a flight with a doctor who showed symptoms of the deadly disease.
Current Affairs Manager, COB
Singapore