After further cases of an enigmatic lung disease in the central Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, the World Health Organization (WHO) has intervened. "The WHO is closely monitoring the situation and is in close contact with the national authorities in China," said the UN agency in Geneva on Monday.
According to the Chinese authorities, 59 people have now become infected. Seven of the patients are in critical condition. It was initially unclear how dangerous the disease was: "There is limited information to assess the overall risk of this cluster of lung diseases of unknown cause," said the WHO, which so far recommends "no special precautions" for travelers. A good 120 people are currently under surveillance.
Hong Kong, meanwhile, has taken the first precautionary measures: fever measuring devices have been installed at the airport. Travelers from Wuhan are checked separately. So far, 16 suspected cases have been reported in the Chinese special administrative region. According to press reports, there is also a first suspicion in Singapore. A three-year-old girl, who Wuhan visited, was in stable condition in the hospital, it said.
Neither flu, avian flu nor Sars
The mysterious lung disease probably started at a fish market in the metropolis of 19 million, where other animals are also sold. They are considered a possible source of viruses. The Huanan market has now been closed and is to be cleaned thoroughly. The infected girl in Singapore was not on the market, however, according to the press reports.
The Wuhan Health Commission reported that, according to previous analysis, there is "no clear evidence" of human-to-human transmission. No medical personnel are infected either.
The virus disease is not flu, Mers, avian or Sars, it said. The investigations into whether it was a new virus were still ongoing. The cases are currently treated as viral pneumonia of unknown cause.