Patients being treated for a mysterious virus, which appeared last month in Southeast Asia, are showing signs of improvement, giving doctors hope that experimental treatments are working, said Dr. Julie Louise Gerberding, director for the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
The disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), has been blamed for nearly 100 deaths and has infected more than 2,600 people worldwide since early March, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records. SARS is a pneumonia-like illness, which includes symptoms such as fever and breathing difficulties.
The NCID and other organizations are currently working to identify the methods of its contagion, according to Gerberding.
‘We’re trying to pinpoint the modes of spreading, the causes of the illness and the best treatments for the disease,’ Gerberding said. ‘We’re working very closely with the World Health Organization to solve this problem.’
According to Gerberding, researchers have found evidence that the SARS virus is related to the coronavirus, which causes respiratory infections in humans. She said the disease is most likely transmitted through fluid droplets typically spread by coughing and sneezing.
‘The highest risk for contamination comes from those in very close contact with those already infected,’ said Gerberding. ‘Medical staff, family members and anyone who has traveled with SARS-infected persons are at the highest risk of catching the disease. We are looking at airborne transmission as well, but that doesn’t seem likely.’
Three cases of the disease have already been reported in Massachusetts, most recently in a 15-month-old girl, who was adopted from China. She was diagnosed with the disease on April 1.
Gerberding also said the state’s second SARS victim was the girl’s aunt, who recently visited China to help in the adoption. The girl’s mother has showed no signs of the disease, however.
‘The disease is not typically fatal,’ Gerberding said. ‘In fact, it’s very easy to treat: aspirin, antibiotics and anything else you might use to treat the flu. Still, anyone who exhibits the symptoms should immediately visit a doctor, and not try to treat themselves.’
Mayor Thomas Menino was unavailable for comment yesterday, but a spokesman for his office said a link has been added to the city’s website providing updated information on the SARS outbreak, as well as instructions on how to prevent, detect and treat possible cases of the disease.
Boston University’s Student Health Services has not taken any advance precautions, but has advised any students who have traveled in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore since March 1 and who are experiencing any related symptoms, to undergo a health evaluation at the service’s clinic at 881 Commonwealth Ave., according to BU spokesman Colin Riley.
Fear of the disease has resulted in disruptions worldwide, including in the United States. Continental Airlines announced yesterday that it will temporarily suspend direct service between its Newark, N.J. hub and Hong Kong, citing a decreased volume on that route due to travelers’ fears of the disease.