Not much is known about the outbreak of an unknown disease in central China's Hubei province this winter. Doctors believe the disease, which affected 59 people, could be caused by the coronavirus, the family of viruses that caused the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. SARS caused panic after it spread to 37 countries and killed more than 750 people. Given the similarity of the symptoms of an unknown disease with coronaviruses, the Chinese authorities intend to closely monitor the situation. Here's what you need to know about the mysterious disease.
Dangerous family of coronaviruses
The coronavirus family includes 37 types of viruses, which are combined into two subfamilies. The coronavirus was first detected in 1965 in a patient suffering from acute rhinitis. The family of coronaviruses affects not only humans, but also cats, dogs, pigs, birds and cattle. Coronavirus can cause damage to the nervous and respiratory systems and the gastrointestinal tract. New coronaviruses periodically appear in different areas of the world, several known coronaviruses circulate in animals without affecting people.
According to The Guardian, according to a statement from the Chinese government, the new disease is definitely not SARS. Unlike SARS, the new virus does not spread easily between people, and unlike Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), better known as SARS, which has a death rate of about 35%, none of those infected have died today. However, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) are seriously concerned. The fact is that during the SARS outbreak in 2002, the virus was not quickly identified and limited. This allowed him to spread around the world along with tourists.
There is no vaccine for SARS and MERS today.
According to Jeremy Farrar, an expert on tropical diseases, epidemics of both known and unknown diseases pose one of the greatest threats to health in the world today. Farrar told The Guardian that the group of patients with an unusual respiratory infection is a major cause for concern. Especially when the disease is associated with a food source for animals. This is how viruses jump over the species barrier - this was the case with SARS, MERS, bird flu and Ebola.
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What exactly is known about the new disease?
The source of the virus is still unknown, but research is focused on a market in Wuhan, which sells live animals and seafood. The fact is that the origin of SARS ultimately turned out to be associated with bats that live in a cave in the Yunnan province in the Middle Kingdom. And the source of MERS today is considered to be one-humped camels, although it is possible that they were infected by bats. According to a January 9 WHO statement, Chinese authorities believe the disease is not easily transmitted from person to person, but it can cause serious illness. Thus, state television channels reported on eight patients with respiratory diseases who were sent home. At the same time, seven people are in a hospital in serious condition, and the data has not been updated since last weekend.
According to some researchers, humanity is not ready for a global epidemic.
The WHO statement also says that more research is needed to confirm the causative agent of the infection, as well as clarify the understanding of the clinical picture and epidemiology of the outbreak. Moreover, the source, modes of transmission, the extent of contamination and the countermeasures implemented must be identified. In the meantime, preventive measures have been taken in Hong Kong - for example, people arriving from Wuhan are tested for flu-like symptoms of a respiratory illness. Some people were hospitalized, but none of them had the type of viral pneumonia that was found in China.
There have been no new confirmed cases in Wuhan for two weeks. While there is no cause for great concern today, WHO experts remind that the global health community has a lot to do to prepare for epidemics around the world. Especially considering the fact that a vaccine against SARS and MERS has not yet been developed, and climate change is likely to negatively affect the spread of infectious diseases.
Lyubov Sokovikova