Mysterious pneumonia infects 167 people in 7 countries: WHO

Asian Economic News, March 25, 2003

GENEVA, March 17 Kyodo

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the number of confirmed cases of infection to a mysterious pneumonia that is spreading mainly in Southeast Asia rose to 167 in Hong Kong, Vietnam and five other countries and four people have died from the disease.

David L. Heymann, the WHO head of communicable disease, disclosed the data during a press conference Monday.

Hayman told some reporters after the press conference that he does not think the outbreak is related to biological terrorism.

The WHO believes the pneumonia, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is viral as the pneumonia patients who were given antibiotics did not show significant signs of recovery. The organization is speeding up work to identify the pathogen.

While the pneumonia's progression is rapid, it is less infectious than influenza, WHO officials said.

The officials emphasized that there is no need to restrict travels nor to panic despite the alert the WHO issued Saturday.

Although the patients do not respond to medicinal treatment, they are recovering with the help of respirators and other measures, WHO officials said.

Experts have yet to determine the link between the SARS and the so-called ''bird-flu,'' the disease reported in Hong Kong that causes respiratory problems.

The WHO is also looking into the link between the pneumonia and the atypical pneumonia reported in China's Guangdong Province last year, as the two occurred relatively in close time period.

The epidemic in China killed five people and infected more than 300.