A mysterious virus, a strain of pneumonia, has hit several people in the city of Wuhan, central China, with many in critical condition. While authorities are not clear what this virus is, they've ruled out the return of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS virus that gripped China and rest of Asia in 2002.
59 cases have been reported so far, according to the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. No deaths have been reported so far, though the patients have been quarantined to contain the spread, according to a report on the CNN.
Reported symptoms mimic pneumonia, including difficulty breathing and fever along with lesions on lungs.
The cases first emerged between December 12 to 29, with many patients employees of a seafood market. The market also sold other animals including birds, rabbits and snakes. The virus could have transmitted from animals to humans, say experts.
The Chinese health authorities have ruled out SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and bird flu.
SARS was declared a pandemic when it first emerged in the region, and spread to 37 countries across the world, before it was brought under control. It infected over 8000 people and killed 774, according to the World Health Organisation. According to WHO,
SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is thought to be an animal virus from an as-yet-uncertain animal reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to other animals (civet cats) and first infected humans in the Guangdong province of southern China in 2002.
The Chinese authorities say there is so far no evidence of human-to-human spread and no health workers have been infected. Over 160 people who came in contact with the patients have been placed under medical supervision.
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