THE cause of a mysterious pneumonia in China has been identified as a virus by local authorities, according to a statement by the World Health Organization. Tests run on 15 people who are unwell suggest that they are all infected with a new coronavirus, in the same family as SARS and MERS.
The genetic sequence of the virus was shared with international health organisations on 12 January, which should make it easier to diagnose infections.
As of 13 January, 41 cases had been linked to the new virus in Wuhan City, Hubei province, according to the local health committee. Symptoms ranged from fever to difficulty breathing. Six people remained severely ill and one had died. All received medical treatment in isolation, said Chinese authorities. Some have since been discharged.
The illness is caused by a new coronavirus, in the same family as SARS and MERS
Outside China, a woman in South Korea and another person in Thailand, both of whom travelled from Wuhan, appear to have the virus. In Hong Kong, 67 people have been admitted to hospitals with similar symptoms, although 51 of them have since been discharged, and none have definitively been linked to the new virus, according to media reports.