Killer virus identified as man given all-clear

A MAN who was admitted to a midlands hospital with suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is not suffering from the virus.

The virus has been identified by US health authorities fearful of bio-terrorist attacks.

US scientists said last night they had finally pinned down the virus that was the probable cause of the mystery pneumonia that has caused at least 17 deaths around the world.

The US government's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus causing SARS was from the coronavirus group.

“We certainly have more work to do, but we think we are on the right track,” said CDC director Julie Gerberding.

The Midlands Health Board said that, following a number of tests on a Mayo man, it had been established that patient's condition was not SARS.

The Western Health Board said a man who is being treated as a probable but unconfirmed case of the mystery flu-like illness is stable and recovering.

This man had recently returned from a holiday visit to Hong Kong. He remains under the care of a clinical team in an isolation ward at the Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar.

And last night, a new probable case, a woman was in a Tallaght hospital undergoing tests for SARS.

Three probable cases of SARS are under investigation in England where no deaths have been reported.

From February to date, 386 cases, including 17 deaths, have been reported worldwide. There was no indication that SARS was linked to bio-terrorism, a spokesperson for the British health authority said.

Eleven top medical laboratories in ten countries have been working together to identify the causative agent. A vaccine had not been available as the pathogen responsible had not, until now, been identified.

“At this time of year in south-east Asia, influenza activity is high and we would therefore expect travellers to this area to be returning with flu-like symptoms, which are unrelated to the current outbreaks of SARS.

“As there is no specific cause for SARS and no specific organism that we can test for to diagnose cases, each suspected case has to be evaluated on the clinical presentation of its symptoms,” the spokesperson added.

The disease has killed 17 people and affected hundreds in Asia, Europe and America.

The Western Health Board will continue to closely monitor the situation in co-operation with health professionals and the National Disease Surveillance Centre (NDSC).

This expert group, which was established by Health Minister Micheál Martin, will continue to advise him of any further measures which may need to be taken. The symptoms of SARS are a temperature of over 38°C, flu-like symptoms and a cough. This is relevant only to people who have been visiting countries which are recognised affected areas.

The advice to the general public from the NDSC is that people travelling to affected areas in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Guandong Province in China should be aware of the symptoms and seek medical advice should they become unwell during their trip or within 10 days of leaving the area.