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17/04/2003
Scientists identify cause of SARS virus
Scientists have identified the cause of the SARS disease as a new pathogen – a member of a viral family never before seen in humans, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed.
Over the past three weeks – since it was first identified – the SARS outbreak has spread at an alarming rate with 3,300 cases reported now in 25 countries worldwide. The UK has reported six suspected cases of SARS –three of whom are now said to be recovering from the illness.
UK scientists were among the huge international effort to identify the disease – as 13 laboratories in 10 countries collaborated on the findings.
Two laboratories in China recently joined this network of laboratories from Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and America.
Dr Klaus Stöhr, WHO virologist and the coordinator of the collaborative research network, said: “The people in this network have put aside profit and prestige to work together to find the cause of this new disease and to find way new ways of fighting it. In this globalised world, such collaboration is the only way forward in tackling emerging diseases.”
The successful identification of the coronavirus means that various laboratories can now turn to unravelling the genetic information of the SARS virus and compare the sequences obtained from viruses in different parts of the world. Experts are gathering at WHO this week to map future work on SARS.
WHO and the network of laboratories dedicate their detection and characterisation of the SARS virus to Dr Carlo Urbani, the WHO scientist who first alerted the world to the existence of SARS in Hanoi, Vietnam, and who died from the disease in Bangkok on 29 March 2003.
(GMcG)
Over the past three weeks – since it was first identified – the SARS outbreak has spread at an alarming rate with 3,300 cases reported now in 25 countries worldwide. The UK has reported six suspected cases of SARS –three of whom are now said to be recovering from the illness.
UK scientists were among the huge international effort to identify the disease – as 13 laboratories in 10 countries collaborated on the findings.
Two laboratories in China recently joined this network of laboratories from Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK and America.
Dr Klaus Stöhr, WHO virologist and the coordinator of the collaborative research network, said: “The people in this network have put aside profit and prestige to work together to find the cause of this new disease and to find way new ways of fighting it. In this globalised world, such collaboration is the only way forward in tackling emerging diseases.”
The successful identification of the coronavirus means that various laboratories can now turn to unravelling the genetic information of the SARS virus and compare the sequences obtained from viruses in different parts of the world. Experts are gathering at WHO this week to map future work on SARS.
WHO and the network of laboratories dedicate their detection and characterisation of the SARS virus to Dr Carlo Urbani, the WHO scientist who first alerted the world to the existence of SARS in Hanoi, Vietnam, and who died from the disease in Bangkok on 29 March 2003.
(GMcG)
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20 May 2003
Milburn calls for WHO audit of disease response
Health Secretary Alan Milburn has called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assess the preparedness of nations to deal with new and emerging diseases in the wake of SARS.
Milburn calls for WHO audit of disease response
Health Secretary Alan Milburn has called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to assess the preparedness of nations to deal with new and emerging diseases in the wake of SARS.
09 September 2003
Singapore confirms new case of Sars
Health authorities in Singapore have confirmed that a man has tested positive for the Sars virus. The 27-year-old man was confirmed to have Sars after a second set of tests on the laboratory technician proved positive. The case comes four months after the last known case of Sars was detected in Singapore.
Singapore confirms new case of Sars
Health authorities in Singapore have confirmed that a man has tested positive for the Sars virus. The 27-year-old man was confirmed to have Sars after a second set of tests on the laboratory technician proved positive. The case comes four months after the last known case of Sars was detected in Singapore.
30 April 2003
WHO lift Canadian travel warning
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that travel advice warning people to avoid Toronto due to SARS have been lifted today.
WHO lift Canadian travel warning
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that travel advice warning people to avoid Toronto due to SARS have been lifted today.
18 April 2003
Boarding schools adopt SARS quarantine measures
Boarding schools across the UK are warning parents to keep their children at home if they have visited any SARS affected areas over the holiday period. The nation's most prestigious boarding school, Eton College in Surrey, has contacted parents to say that some pupils should not return for the summer term before serving a 10-day quarantine period.
Boarding schools adopt SARS quarantine measures
Boarding schools across the UK are warning parents to keep their children at home if they have visited any SARS affected areas over the holiday period. The nation's most prestigious boarding school, Eton College in Surrey, has contacted parents to say that some pupils should not return for the summer term before serving a 10-day quarantine period.
02 April 2003
SARS warning issued to British travellers
British travellers have been warned to defer from travelling to countries in south east Asia at the centre of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.
SARS warning issued to British travellers
British travellers have been warned to defer from travelling to countries in south east Asia at the centre of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.
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