Deadly "super-flu" emerges in Hong Kong

monkspider · March 13, 2003, 15:44

Be careful UR. This sounds like bad news.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2846243.stm
Health officials have issued a global warning about a virulent flu and pneumonia that has swept through hospitals in Hong Kong and Vietnam.

One man has died, dozens of hospital workers have fallen ill, and some of these are reportedly in a critical condition.

The precise origin of the infection is still unknown, but the key case involved an American businessman who died on Thursday morning in a Hong Kong hospital.

He had arrived into Hanoi in Vietnam from Shanghai on a business trip already suffering from severe respiratory problems.

When his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to Hong Kong for specialist care.

World Health Organisation experts are concerned that he may have passed the infection on to many others on the way.

It has issued a "global alert" warning public health surveillance teams throughout the world to be vigilant for outbreaks.

"Any time you cannot diagnose the cause of a disease, it's very serious," said the World Health Organisation's David Heyman.

"What's fortunate is that at present it seems to be confined to hospital workers who have had contact with the patients; although now we're looking to see if people might be sick in the community."

Rapid spread

After the US patient's admission in Hanoi, 20 hospital staff fell ill with the same infection, and so far 50 staff in Hong Kong have shown similar flu-like symptoms and some have been admitted to hospital.

Of these, 23 are already showing clear signs of pneumonia. The condition of some of these is described as "critical".

None of the staff are known to have had any direct contact with the American - so no direct link with either his death, or the Hanoi outbreak, can be established.

Singapore's Ministry of Health says it is also closely monitoring three people admitted to hospital with an unusual form of pneumonia, all of whom had recently visited Hong Kong.

Professor John Tam, one of those treating the virus patients in Hong Kong, said: "It must have come from a patient and is probably spread from human to human in very close contact by aerosol, like sneezing.

"It affects a lot of people very quickly and their conditions can deteriorate very quickly," Mr Tam said.

Bird-flu ruled out

Concerns over the highly-contagious illness have prompted many staff and patients attending hospitals in Hong Kong to wear surgical masks.

The signs and symptoms of the disease in Hanoi include initial flu-like illness, with rapid onset of high fever followed by muscle aches, headache and sore throat.

In some, but not all cases, this is followed by double pneumonia - with some patients needing help from a ventilator to stay alive.

Hong Kong Health Minister Yeoh Eng-kiong said that testing was being carried out to try to identify the strain of virus involved.

Tests have so far revealed that it is a "B" strain version of flu.

He said: "The rate of infection is very high.

"At first it's a respiratory illness and it deteriorates into pneumonia.

"There is a possibility it can mutate or it may be a virus that is known to us."

But Hong Kong Government officials said the illness was not related to a strain of "bird-flu" that killed a man in February.

It is possible the outbreak is linked to a spate of "atypical pneumonia" cases in the southern Guangdong province of China in February, which killed five people and infected hundreds more.

GePap · March 13, 2003, 15:48

Sound serious, though this time they won't have to kill all the chickens, it seems. At the same time, the rate of fatalities seems relatively low, thankfully.

Last newstory I heard linked to a disase was the new Ebola outbreak in the Congo: 89 out of 97 people infected died. That's 89% fatality rate....

DinoDoc · March 13, 2003, 15:55

Quote:

Originally posted by GePap
Last newstory I heard linked to a disase was the new Ebola outbreak in the Congo: 89 out of 97 people infected died. That's 89% fatality rate....

Isn't that about average for a filovirus?

GePap · March 13, 2003, 15:59

Wouldn't know... though even if it is average, does that minimize the

ness factor of Ebola?

Az · March 13, 2003, 16:05

It seems that the origin is Indochina.

Hong Kong just gets this sort of stuff because it's the hub of South east Asia.

Drake Tungsten · March 13, 2003, 17:17

Quote:

Last newstory I heard linked to a disase was the new Ebola outbreak in the Congo: 89 out of 97 people infected died. That's 89% fatality rate....

Actually, it's a 92% fatality rate...

Az · March 13, 2003, 17:42

Philosophy and math don't go together very well, I guess.

good catch, Drake.

VJ · March 13, 2003, 17:52

Morale of the story: Never leave the Basement (R).

Drake Tungsten · March 13, 2003, 17:52

Quote:

good catch, Drake.

I don't deserve to be complimented for being a pedantic ass...

Urban Ranger · March 13, 2003, 22:45

In the region, we got some bugs going around in Vietnam, some bugs going around here, and some bugs hit the Guongdong province of the PRC some time ago. We don't know if these are the same microbes yet.

Locally, the Prince of Wales hospital was hit hardest. Last I heard 39 workers got ill and 26 displayed symptoms of pneumonia.

SlowwHand · March 13, 2003, 23:22

The Hong Kong flu has been done.
What's with the reruns?

Urban Ranger · March 13, 2003, 23:39

We'll send you some of our chickens

Tuberski · March 13, 2003, 23:49

A pox on your chickens!!!!!

ACK!

Urban Ranger · March 13, 2003, 23:52

They already got the bird flu. Muahahahaha.

Ned · March 14, 2003, 00:08

Seems to me that if this bug is as contagious as it seems, it will visit the entire world in short order. Hopefully, by then, we will have a something to prevent catching it in the first place.

Have the US authorities been contacted to help?

Oerdin · March 14, 2003, 00:17

They'll contact the CDC if things get bad. Everyone all ways does sooner or later.

Oerdin · March 14, 2003, 00:20

My money is on influenza. It flourishes in crowded conditions, among people with poor nutrition, and poor access to health care. That sounds a lot like parts of Indo-China.

DanS · March 15, 2003, 19:41

Looks like this could be pretty big. The CDC apparently has been holding emergency meeting on it.

mrboo123 · March 15, 2003, 19:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Ned
Seems to me that if this bug is as contagious as it seems, it will visit the entire world in short order. Hopefully, by then, we will have a something to prevent catching it in the first place.

Have the US authorities been contacted to help?

Better, already reached Canada! :sraced:

Urban Ranger · March 15, 2003, 23:02

Only a couple of people got knocked off in Toronto. No biggie, that.

Agathon · March 15, 2003, 23:08

Don't panic yet.

It is apparently hard to catch unless you come into close contact with an infected person. Almost all the Toronto infections are members of one family and this is over the last week or so. I live there and so do six million other people.

And it doesn't seem to kill everybody, so the chances of actually dying from it are quite low. Only 8 people in the entire world have died from it and there are about 300 infections mostly in Asia.

Since it apparently comes from China if large swathes of Chinese people start dying, then we know we are in trouble.

Take a moment to remember the flesh eating disease that was going to kill us all and the recurrence of the plague that was much ballyhooed a few years back.

Urban Ranger · March 15, 2003, 23:09

Yeah, a lot of people tend to be very panicky these days.

Agathon · March 15, 2003, 23:12

The concern of officials makes me feel more secure - it means they are doing their job. And they've told Canadians not to worry unless they've been in contact with that family; been to a certain hospital in Scarborough or been in contact with anyone who's really crook.

Since I've done none of these I suppose I shouldn't worry. Although if I get it I'll be sure to tell you all.

Urban Ranger · March 15, 2003, 23:17

There are so far 40 cases in Vietnam, 16 in Singapore, 4 in Taiwan, 44 in Hong Kong.

Agathon · March 15, 2003, 23:27

Looks like you are right UR.

I suppose that the chicken flu case proves that it is possible to contain these things if there is a well funded disease control policy.

Agathon · March 15, 2003, 23:29

There are 8 confirmed cases in Canada and two deaths. Six in Toronto (including the fatalities) and two in BC.

The good news, if it can be called that, is that it comes on pretty quickly which means it is easier to remove contagious individuals from the population much more quickly.

And if its the same one that was in China which infected 300 and killed five that's about a 1.6% chance of dying from it which will be reduced if you aren't old and infirm. Not terrible odds.

faded glory · March 16, 2003, 00:12

Hey I saw Stephen Kings 'The Stand' just earlier..

Anyway, its not the mortality rate there worried about agathon. Its the fact that it doesnt respond to anti-biotics and apparently, the symptoms are, from what I understand from MSNBC, Permanent. Yes, Permanent.....

ThePantaloonDog · March 16, 2003, 00:14

The thing about Ebola is that it kills its victims so quickly that the carrier really doesn't have a chance to infect other people. This is the problem with AIDS, you carry it around for a decade before you feel any affects.

This virus on the other hand does sound a bit scary even if 1.6% die think of the number of people that would just in the US. 2 million deaths could easily cause a panic. Hopefully this will be contained.

Urban Ranger · March 16, 2003, 00:17

fg,

If the cause is a virus, it won't respond to antibiotics. So don't jump to conclusions about some multi-resistant superbugs.

Agathon · March 16, 2003, 00:18

Quote:

Originally posted by faded glory
Hey I saw Stephen Kings 'The Stand' just earlier..

Anyway, its not the mortality rate there worried about agathon. Its the fact that it doesnt respond to anti-biotics and apparently, the symptoms are, from what I understand from MSNBC, Permanent. Yes, Permanent.....

Don't worry mate. I just read on MSNBC that one person in Vancouver has recovered.

If it is non HIV-like virus it can't be permanent since the body eventually forms antibodies to the virus - just like when you get a cold or the flu - or you die because the virus is too virulent - like Ebola.