China has reported 139 new cases of a mysterious virus in two days, with the outbreak spreading from Wuhan to other major Chinese cities.
Beijing, the capital, reported two cases, while the southern tech hub of Shenzhen reported one case.
The total number of confirmed cases now exceeds 200, and three have died from the respiratory illness.
The sharp uptick in those infected comes as millions of Chinese prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holidays.
Health officials have identified the infection, which first appeared in Wuhan in December, as being a strain of coronavirus. They say it led to an outbreak of viral pneumonia, but much about it remains unknown.
Although the outbreak is believed to have originated from a market, officials and scientists are yet to determine exactly how it has been spreading.
South Korea reported its first confirmed case of the virus on Monday, following two in Thailand and one in Japan.
The outbreak has revived memories of the Sars virus – also a coronavirus – that killed 774 people in the early 2000s across dozens of countries, mostly in Asia.
Analysis of the genetic code of the new virus shows it is more closely related to Sars than any other human coronavirus.
What we know about the virus
- 2019-nCoV, as it’s been labelled, is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans
- Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses, but only six (the new one would make it seven) are known to infect people
- Scientists believe an animal source is “the most likely primary source” but that some human-to-human transmission has occurred
- Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties
- People are being advised to avoid “unprotected” contact with live animals, thoroughly cook meat and eggs, and avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms
Source: World Health Organization
Who has been infected?
Authorities in Wuhan, a central Chinese city of 11 million that has been at the heart of the outbreak, said 136 new cases had been confirmed over the weekend, with a third person dying of the virus.
There had previously been only 62 confirmed cases in the city.
As of late Sunday, officials said 170 people in Wuhan were still being treated in hospital, including nine in critical condition.
Health officials in Beijing’s Daxing district meanwhile said two people who had travelled to Wuhan were treated for pneumonia linked to the virus.
In Shenzhen, close to Hong Kong, officials said a 66-year-old man showed symptoms of the virus following a trip to visit relatives in Wuhan. Eight others in Shenzhen have been quarantined and are under observation to determine if they have the virus.
Four cases have been confirmed abroad – all of them involving people from Wuhan or who had visited the city.
In South Korea, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a 35-year-old Chinese woman was suffering from a fever and respiratory problems after travelling there from Wuhan. She was put into isolation and treated at a local hospital.
The World Health Organization said it was currently not recommending restrictions on travel or trade, but was providing guidance to countries preparing for any outbreak.
Singapore and Hong Kong have been screening air passengers from Wuhan, and US authorities announced similar measures starting on Friday at three major airports in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
What are the Chinese authorities saying?
China’s National Health Commission on Sunday said the virus was “still preventable and controllable”, while warning that close monitoring was needed given that the source, transmission and mutation methods were unknown.
It said there had been no cases of the virus spreading from one person to another, but that it had instead crossed the species barrier and come from infected animals at a seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan.
However the WHO said it believed there had been “some limited human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts”.
“As more… cases are identified and more analysis undertaken, we will get a clearer picture of disease severity and transmission patterns,” it wrote on Twitter.
It noted that the rise in cases in China was a result of “increased searching and testing for [the virus] among people sick with respiratory illness”.
Source: BBC
