Deadly virus sweeping the globe
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hav e warned state and local health officials about potential infections from a deadly virus previously unseen in humans that has now sickened 14 people and killed 8.
Most of the infections have occurred in the Middle East, but a new analysis of three confirmed infections in Britain suggests the virus can pass from person to person rather than from animal to humans, the CDC said in its Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report on Thursday.
The virus is a coronavirus, part of the same family of viruses as the common cold and the deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that first emerged in Asia in 2003. The new virus is not the same as SARS, but like the SARS virus, it is similar to those found in bats.
So far, no cases have been reported in the United States.
According to the CDC's analysis, the infections in Britain started with a 60-yearold man who had recently travelled to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and developed a respiratory illness on January 24, 2013. Samples from the man showed he was infected with both the new virus and with H1N1, or swine flu.
The infection that is believed to be coming from the Middle East were found in Britain after a 60-year-old man who had recently travelled to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and developed a respiratory illness on January 24, 2013. Samples from the man showed he was infected with both the new virus and with H1N1, or swine flu.
This man subsequently passed the infection to two members of his household: a male with an underlying illness who became ill on February 6 and subsequently died; and a healthy adult female in his household who developed a respiratory illness on February 5, but who did not need to be hospitalised and has recovered.
The CDC said people who develop a severe acute lower respiratory illness within 10 days of returning from the Arabian Peninsula or neighbouring countries should continue to be evaluated according to current guidelines.
The health agency said doctors should be watchful of patients who develop an unexplained respiratory infection within 10 days of travelling from the Arabian Peninsula or neighbouring countries.
Symptoms of infection with this new virus include severe acute respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Neither the CDC nor the World Health Organisation has issued travel restrictions related to the virus.
Warnings of the deadly virus come as the CDC announced concerns over an increasing number of infections from a 'nightmare bacteria' found in U.S. hospitals.
Public health officials have warned that in a growing number of cases existing antibiotics do not work against the superbug, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE).
Patients became infected with the bacteria in nearly four per cent of US hospitals and in almost 18 per cent of specialist medical facilities in the first half of 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Dr Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, said in a statement that the strongest antibiotics 'don't work and patients are left with potentially untreatable infections.'
He said scientists were 'raising the alarm' over the problem following increasing concern.