400 new SARS cases in China - Could This Be A Bio Attack?

www.bayarea.com...

Posted on Wed, Apr. 02, 2003

400 new SARS cases in China
By MICHAEL DORGAN and SETH BORENSTEIN
Knight Ridder Newspapers

BEIJING - (KRT) - As China on Wednesday disclosed nearly 400 new cases of the mysterious fast-breaking respiratory illness and international health officials urged travelers to avoid southern China, U.S. doctors were trying to figure out why the disease has not hit America that hard yet.

Severe acute respiratory ayndrome, or SARS, continues to spread in Hong Kong, China's southern Guangdong province and distant Canada, while neighboring countries have had only sporadic travel-related cases.

U.S. officials said Wednesday that a new diagnostic test, which seems to identify the virus that American officials think is responsible, is ready to be sent to state health officials for preliminary use.

So far, SARS has sickened 2,236 people and killed 78. Nearly 1,200 of those cases have been in China with 708 in Hong Kong. Although Hong Kong has been part of China since 1997, international health officials treat it as a separate entity. Eighty-five percent of all cases and 79 percent of all deaths have been in Hong Kong and China.

According to data released Wednesday by China, 1,153 cases, including 40 deaths, have been in Guangdong, where the virus is believed to have originated. The latest data showed 361 new cases, including nine deaths, in Guangdong in March. The data also showed that the virus spread to the Guangxi region and to Hunan and Sichuan provinces, which together had 21 cases and three deaths.

In the United States, there have been 85 cases. All but seven of those victims had traveled to SARS hot spots. No one has died in the United States, and only one victim was sick enough to need a mechanical respirator, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

But China's numbers caused the World Health Organization - and the U.S. State Department - to issue a first-of-its-kind travel advisory about Hong Kong and Guangdong.

"People who are planning to travel to Hong Kong or Guangdong should consider postponing their travel until another time," said Dr. David Heymann, WHO infectious diseases chief, in Geneva.

The CDC warned against unnecessary travel in China, Singapore and Vietnam. And soon, the CDC will release specific advice for parents who are adopting Chinese children, CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said Wednesday.

"The epidemic is not over over there," Gerberding said. "The global community has to take this very seriously and do everything we can to contain its spread and stay on top of it."

China's government had been widely criticized for responding slowly to the epidemic. It previously acknowledged only the cases in Guangdong and a handful in Beijing and Shanxi province.

While Wednesday's disclosures reinforce China's standing as the epicenter of the epidemic, they also suggest a hopeful trend. The data indicate a 48 percent drop in new SARS cases in Guangdong from February to March.

"I don't think this problem has peaked internationally, but it may have peaked in Guangdong," said Dr. Robert Breiman, leader of a WHO team in Beijing. "If true, we have a lot to learn here about what might happen elsewhere."

Dr. James Maguire, an epidemiologist with the WHO team in Beijing, said it is not yet known why the epidemic appears to be waning in Guangdong.

One possibility is that the virus weakens after several transmissions, he said. Another is that Guangdong health officials took effective measures to treat or prevent the spread of the disease.

In addition to releasing data to the WHO team, Chinese officials gave the team permission to travel to Guangdong to search for evidence of the origin and transmission routes of the virus. The WHO team put in an urgent request for the trip nearly a week ago.

The virus, which produces a severe pneumonia-like illness, has spread to 17 countries, and suspected new cases were reported Wednesday in Indonesia and Malaysia, where none had previously appeared.

"We don't know why the transmission of the epidemic looks different in different places," Gerberding said. One reason the United States has fewer and less virulent cases is that American health officials are using very broad definitions when counting victims, including people who might not be considered a SARS patient elsewhere, and these people are not as sick, she said.

But Canada has similar broad definitions and a much worse situation with six dead, Stanford University professor of medicine Dr. Stanley Deresinski said. And the disease looks to be waning in Hanoi and Singapore, he said.

What should help is that the CDC has developed a test that would tell whether a patient has coronavirus - which the CDC thinks is the likely cause of SARS - and will soon send test results to state health departments.

Health officials expect to battle SARS "for at least several weeks if not longer," Gerberding said.

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their population without complaints over human rights?

I read it is a form of fungus or mold derived from chickens. Man made.

I can tell you that this is jolly worrying: especially as we have had to implement some basic security measures as a result of the current unpleasantness in Iraq, and this comes in as a second concern.
The appropriate authorities have been useful: the British Embassy in Beijing updates me and the UC Consulate in Shenyang ( capital of this province) does the same.
I must tell you that any figures produced from the PRC are at best guesstimates: do not credit these numbers.
Hong Kong is a different issue and their figures can be treated with some respect (although they foolishly wandered away from Her Majesty's maternal embrace 5 years ago, much admin. there is on the colonial model).
All the evidence, such as it is, points to an origin in HK after which it (if it's a single type of coronavirus) spread to Canton.
I don't have the link handy but the New Scientist published some details on Monday and you'll find them on their site. These were rather encouraging.
And, a propos of nothing, HK really isn't a part of the PRC in any clear sense (less a part than Guam is a part of the USA). I need my passport to go there and so do the Chinese. Chinese cannot drive from there to the mainland;; very different laws and rules (for instance, the current isolation legislation in HK is British Colonial law being implemented).
We had all this "man made" stuff about AIDS, Ebola and Lord knows what else. The jury's still out on everything and probably always will be. But, it is -as I said -very worrying if you are here.

[Edited on 3-4-2003 by Estragon]

Nope.

They'd pick something with a higher mortality rate... and besides, it's terribly hard to "target" epidemics the way that people move around. Remember, this has a mortality rate of ONLY 5%.

For comparison:
* flesh-eating bacteria - mortality = 30%
* hepatitis C - mortality 11%
* bacterial meningitis - mortality = under 10% (untreated, it's 100%)
* asthma (among Puerto Ricans) - mortality = 40%
* ebola - mortality = 90%





(references:
www.hc-sc.gc.ca...
www.bact.wisc.edu:81...$81
www.lungusa.org...

I agree Byrd but this could be a slow mover/developer created just for this purpose.

I'm going out on a limb here and saying that this could be some sort of test to actually see if the bug spreads..It could be followed up by something more serious..Lets hope not but the timing of all this is highly suspect as previously mentioned.

rense.com...

Quote from the article:
___________________________________________

Who is behind this SARS madness? I accept the risk of triggering your "conspiracy theory" buttons by identifying the widely recognized "global military-medical-petrochemical-pharmaceutical cartel" as the only suspect that can wield the powers necessary to effect these frightening outcomes.

Although you may find it comforting to simply consider this a conspiracy theory, I view SARS is a huge conspiracy with very few witting villains. Clearly, what you are witnessing is a well organized terror campaign carried out by mostly well-meaning, yet grossly ignorant, "authorities"-medically indoctrinated and virtually hypnotized "Manchurian candidates" if you will allow me to postulate.

Indeed, people are dying from SARS. Yet, I diagnose this illness, by medical-sociological parameters, as a grotesque scam perpetrated for a greater purpose than simply fueling a multi-billion dollar "cottage health industry," as some analysts have written.

Alternatively, I propose that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, may be best diagnosed by SARS's telltale dependence on the propaganda used to herald its presence, prompt hysteria, and broadly engage social and economic resources. In military intelligence circles this is called standard "psychological operations" (PSYOPs).

I further suggest this fright's likeliest purpose is in facilitating evolving economic and political agendas that ultimately include targeting approximately half the world's current population for elimination. Much of this will be accomplished, not with SARS, but quite effectively and efficiently by the widely anticipated "Big One" discussed later on this website in a feature article written for the Associated Press by Emma Ross.
____________________________________________

Have you bought your plastic sheeting and duct tape yet?

This SAR disease is getting real close to home now . Just heard that there are some cases in both the northern and southern part of California . Hope this thing eventually meets it's end .

Yes this is a conspiracy. Its a conspiracy to kill off asians.

It's not new in any way, i knew it is going to happen.

This is just the start of it.

And to think that some people refuse to take Rense seriously!

Incidentally, the Chinese are calling it: fei jie he- lung very grave cough. Altogether clearer than SARS!

Hey i have a chinees siting few feet away from me she gives me looks and constantly dangles her legs - i think she likes me!
Or maybe she wants to spread the invection


Hmmmmmm

Estragon,

I hope you're not trying to say that the Jeff Rense website is not worth regarding as a source for alternative information.

Perish the thought, deleted: and we can only hope that those who cast aspersions on Jeff are brought to the light!.

And the Chinese have at last agreed to let the WHO into Canton: it's international pressure (especially commercial: no one's flying in or out): the Chinese have scant regard for numbers: scarcely a week goes by without an appalling mine disaster or mass-murder- and there's very little concern.

Kind of a weak (5% mortality rate) bio-attack, if that's what it is. As to the arguement of testing how it spreads...it only spreads so much because the risk of death isn't great. If it had a higher mortality rate, you'd see some EXTREME steps taken to prevent the spreading...thus, you can't use something like this to give you accurate information like that. Viruses simply evolve to defeat their obstacles, just as all lifeforms do. I just don't see a conspiracy here...

Hey there!

Good thing about this board is that people don't know who you are or where you live and work so you can say anything!

Have some news to tell you all, just to clear up the mess of the confusion surrounding SARS!

Severe Acute Respitory Syndrome is caused by Chicken living in close quarters to humans or by eating under-cooked chicken. The disease has roughly about a 7-day waiting period and if untreated WILL KILL YOU!!!

Many of the cases in China and America have been treated with a cocktail of antivirals and antibiotics in IV and IM treatments. The most common treatment is, in moderate cases is this:

Quarantine the patient and anyone who has touched him/her in the seven day window.

Take blood for FBC, WCC, Septic and Tox screens. Urinalysis and Haemolysis can be used but normally are used if the symptoms aren't matching.

The infected is placed under Nil By Mouth and is attached to two IV's. SodiumBiocarb is given to ease any cramps and if deemed nessecary, the patient is aided by oxygen or in severe cases, a respirator.

Its pretty much a wait and see game but this has been working so far in Britain..lets just hope it stays that way?

To the new 400 cases.....

Possible mutation due to the antiviral treatments?

The SARS bug is sneaky and can seemingly hide in an uneffected part of the body without symptoms becoming acute and then after the treatment has stopped, will come back with a vengence!!!!!

Will update as i have more info and results coming through at 5pm!

And your sources for this, RavenStar? Plainly not the WHO who have only just been admitted to the PRC; plainly not the New Scientist; certainly not the League for Advanced Spelling, and obviously no one who's ever been within a mile of a Chinese hospital.

And if anyone can bear to have his or her drivel-stream impeded by something as tedious as scientific journalism: here's the New Scientist link.
www.newscientist.com...

Eh excuse me Estragon!(sp)

I may not be the greatest of spellers but you as sure can't spell everything right!
And if you can remember this from english...every country has diffrent spellings of words and i for one, if your location is right, can't read chinese symbols!!!

As for my sources......

Lets see!

Dr. Julie Mitchell - Head doctor of my bases Lab, masters in Bio-Warfare and Chemical compound structures

Dr. Brian McKenzie - Head of my unit for First response in my area. Major in TA and is currently supervivising the Regulars in the DMZ in Iraq.

Myself - A nurse assistant for 3 years in Mental health and Civilian member of the local base Infirmary. Joint member of the First Response Team that deals with Civilan emergencies and i am trained to deal with anything that looks like the Flu to Necrotising Faceitis!

I am definetly not the greatest speller but at least i don't sit infront of the computer all day slagging people off that ARE dealing with the threats that happen in their homeland!

Now, don't annoy me anymore with you bull# comments on my sources or i will send you a list of my resources and you can ram those comments back up your arse so far that your last # wouldn't even dislodge them!!!!!!!!!!!!

The prosecution rests.

(and for those posters who CAN read -I'd still recommend a glance at the New Scientist link)