UK - Possible Human-to-Human transmission of novel coronavirus HCoV - 11th worldwide case

TrueScotsman · #1 February 13th, 2013, 04:38 AM

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21442519

Coronavirus: Signs the new Sars-like virus can spread between people

Quote:

Health officials in the UK believe they have the strongest evidence yet that a new respiratory illness similar to the deadly Sars virus can spread from person to person.

Cases of the infection come from contact with animals, however, if the virus can spread between people it poses a much more serious threat.

One person in the UK is though to have caught the infection from a relative.

However, officials say the threat to the whole population remains very low.

There have been 11 confirmed cases of the infection around the world, five patients have died.

This is the third case identified in the UK. The first was a patient flown in from Qatar for treatment. The second was linked to travel to the Middle East and Pakistan.

The virus is then thought to have spread from the second patient to a close relative. There have been suggestions of person to person transmission in earlier cases in the Middle East, but this was not confirmed.

The third UK case is being treated in intensive care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The patient is known to have an underlying health condition which may have made them susceptible to the infection.

Prof John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the Health Protection Agency, said: "Confirmed novel coronavirus infection in a person without travel history to the Middle East suggests that person-to-person transmission has occurred, and that it occurred in the UK."

"Although this case provides strong evidence for person to person transmission, the risk of infection in most circumstances is still considered to be very low."

Giuseppe Michieli · #2 February 13th, 2013, 04:45 AM

[Source: Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom, full text: (LINK).]

Further UK case of novel coronavirus

13 February 2013

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm a further case of novel coronavirus infection in a family member of the case announced on Monday 11 February. The patient, who is a UK resident, does not have any recent travel history and is currently receiving intensive care treatment at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. It is understood that this patient has an existing medical condition that may make them more susceptible to respiratory infections. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 11, of which three have been diagnosed in the UK.

Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA, said: "Confirmed novel coronavirus infection in a person without travel history to the Middle East suggests that person-to-person transmission has occurred, and that it occurred in the UK. This case is a family member who was in close personal contact with the earlier case and who may have been at greater risk of acquiring an infection because of their underlying health condition.

“To date, evidence of person-to-person transmission has been limited. Although this case provides strong evidence for person to person transmission, the risk of infection in most circumstances is still considered to be very low. If novel coronavirus were more infectious, we would have expected to have seen a larger number of cases than we have seen since the first case was reported three months ago. However, this new development does justify, the measures that were immediately put into place to prevent any further spread of infection and to identify and follow up contacts of known cases.

“We will continue to provide advice and support to healthcare workers looking after the patients and to contacts of both cases.

"In light of this latest case we would like to emphasise that the risk associated with novel coronavirus to the general UK population remains very low. The HPA will continue to work closely with national and international health authorities and will share any further advice with health professionals and the public if and when more information becomes available."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Laboratory confirmed cases to date: 11
Saudi Arabia: 5 (3 deaths)
Jordan: 2 (2 deaths)
UK:3 (1 patient from Qatar – receiving treatment, 2 patients from UK, 1 with recent travel to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia – both receiving treatment)
Germany: 1 (patient from Qatar – discharged)

Coronaviruses are causes of the common cold but can also include more severe illness, such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). This new coronavirus was first identified in September 2012 in a patient who died from a severe respiratory infection in June 2012. The virus has so far only been identified in a small number of cases of acute, serious respiratory illness who presented with fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties.

For further information, see the HPA’s coronavirus webpages which includes a Q&A page on this topic.

The Health Protection Agency is an independent UK organisation that was set up by the government in 2003 to protect the public from threats to their health from infectious diseases and environmental hazards. In April 2013 the Health Protection Agency will become part of a new organisation called Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department of Health. To find out more, visit our website: www.hpa.org.uk or follow us on Twitter @HPAuk.

For more information please contact the national HPA press office at Colindale on 0208 327 7901 or email colindale-pressoffice@hpa.org.uk. Out of hours the duty press officer can be contacted on 0208 200 4400.

Last reviewed: 13 February 2013

- ------

sharon sanders · #3 February 13th, 2013, 06:53 AM

Also please see this thread:

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan: 10 confirmed cases due to novel animal coronavirus - 5 fatalities, at least 2 cases still in hospital - September 20, 2012 +

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=192872

sharon sanders · #4 February 13th, 2013, 06:56 AM

hat tip Michael Coston:

HPA Confirms Locally Acquired Coronavirus Infection In UK

Photo Credit NIAID

# 6932

The big news of the morning comes from the UK where the HPA has announced that a family contract of the man who recently returned from the Middle East with the novel coronavirus has contracted the virus.

While there has been some evidence to suggest limited human-to-human transmission of this novel virus in the past, this is the first well-documented case of secondary transmission.

Overall, however, given the number of patients and number of people exposed to them, this virus does not yet appear to be easily transmissible.

Further UK case of novel coronavirus

13 February 2013

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) can confirm a further case of novel coronavirus infection in a family member of the case announced on Monday 11 February. The patient, who is a UK resident, does not have any recent travel history and is currently receiving intensive care treatment at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. It is understood that this patient has an existing medical condition that may make them more susceptible to respiratory infections. This latest case brings the total number of confirmed cases globally to 11, of which three have been diagnosed in the UK.
Professor John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA, said: "Confirmed novel coronavirus infection in a person without travel history to the Middle East suggests that person-to-person transmission has occurred, and that it occurred in the UK. This case is a family member who was in close personal contact with the earlier case and who may have been at greater risk of acquiring an infection because of their underlying health condition. “To date, evidence of person-to-person transmission has been limited. Although this case provides strong evidence for person to person transmission, the risk of infection in most circumstances is still considered to be very low. If novel coronavirus were more infectious, we would have expected to have seen a larger number of cases than we have seen since the first case was reported three months ago. However, this new development does justify, the measures that were immediately put into place to prevent any further spread of infection and to identify and follow up contacts of known cases.
“We will continue to provide advice and support to healthcare workers looking after the patients and to contacts of both cases.
"In light of this latest case we would like to emphasise that the risk associated with novel coronavirus to the general UK population remains very low. The HPA will continue to work closely with national and international health authorities and will share any further advice with health professionals and the public if and when more information becomes available."

Posted by Michael Coston at 7:50 AM

Treyfish · #5 February 13th, 2013, 07:02 AM

Sars-like coronavirus spreads to relative of British sufferer
Person who contracted potentially fatal virus appears to have passed on illness to family member
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 13 February 2013 05.51 EST

A Sars coronavirus: a similar virus appears to have been spread between two relatives in the UK. Photograph: Reuters
A relative of a UK patient who recently contracted a potentially fatal Sars-like virus has also become infected with the disease, health experts said.

more at...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/20...reads-relative

Treyfish · #6 February 13th, 2013, 07:28 AM

(Reuters) - A third patient in Britain has contracted a new SARS-like virus, becoming the second confirmed UK case in a week and showing the deadly infection is being spread from person to person, health officials said on Wednesday...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...91C0OR20130213

Treyfish · #7 February 13th, 2013, 07:29 AM

New coronavirus may have spread between people, but risk to public is low
Feb. 13, 2013 8:03AM EST
LONDON -- British officials say a mysterious virus related to SARS may have spread between humans, as they confirmed the 11th case worldwide of the new coronavirus in a patient who they say probably caught it from a family member.
The new virus was first identified last year in the Middle East and the 10 people who have previously been infected had all travelled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan.
According to Britain's Health Protection Agency, the latest patient is a U.K. resident with no recent travel to any of those countries but who had close personal contact with an earlier case. The patient may also have been at greater risk of infection due to an underlying medical condition and is currently in intensive care at a Birmingham hospital.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/new-cor...#ixzz2Kmlc2ev2

Treyfish · #8 February 13th, 2013, 07:40 AM

Latest UK case of deadly Sars-like virus shows it CAN spread between people as relative of sufferer falls ill
New patient is a relative of the sufferer who was confirmed to have Sars-like virus on Monday
Six hospital staff came into contact with the patient but have not displayed any symptoms so far
Original patient had recently travelled to Middle East
Takes number of confirmed worldwide cases to 11
They were initially given care in a single room on a ward, where stringent infection controls were put in place, and was allowed a limited number of visitors wearing masks and gowns.

Their condition deteriorated on Sunday and they were moved to an isolation room in critical care, where they are now described as 'stable'.
A hospital spokeswoman said: 'The patient did not come into direct contact with any other patient.
'All staff treating the patient complied with relevant infection control policies, wearing masks, gowns and gloves.'
They added that the patient was an existing out-patient 'undergoing treatment for a long-term complex and unrelated health condition' which means they have a weakened immune system, making them susceptible to infections.
The hospital spokeswoman added six hospital staff who had come into close contact with the patient were being monitored but had not displayed any symptoms so far...

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...#ixzz2Kmo5HLab

Treyfish · #9 February 13th, 2013, 08:22 AM

...Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota, warned the virus could be adapting into a more transmissible form. "At any moment the fire hydrant of human-to-human transmission cases could open," he said. "This is definitely a 'stay tuned' moment." He noted that before SARS sparked a worldwide epidemic, there were a handful of human-to-human cases, until something happened, like a virus mutation, which triggered an explosion of cases...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...virus/1909415/

Treyfish · #10 February 13th, 2013, 08:52 AM

No travel restrictions are in place.

Prof John Oxford, a virology expert at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "This doesn't raise too many alarm bells.

"In a family things can spread far more easily than they would spread outside, people share towels and toothbrushes etc.

"If it was somebody who was not related or a nurse or a doctor - that would be a lot more serious."

Prof Ian Jones, from the University of Reading, said: "There is really close contact involved here, it is not 'true' human transmission in the general public.

"Although it is severe, it's not doing anything worse than some other respiratory infections, it's just a new one."

Prof Wendy Barclay, from Imperial College London, said it was wise to keep a close eye on the virus.

"We're an incremental step closer to worrying, but it isn't a worry where we need to say there is a pandemic coming," she said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21442519

Treyfish · #11 February 13th, 2013, 10:33 AM

Epidemiological update: Case of severe lower respiratory tract disease associated with a novel coronavirus
13 Feb 2013

ECDC
On 13 February 2013, the HPA announced that one family contact of the previously-confirmed case reported on 11 February was laboratory-confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus (NCoV). This second case from the same family was hospitalised on 9 February with a short history of respiratory symptoms. The patient has an existing medical condition that may make him more susceptible to respiratory infections. He does not have a recent travel history, and is currently receiving intensive care treatment.
The cases have been notified through the EU alerting system for communicable diseases.
This brings the total of laboratory-confirmed cases of severe pneumonia caused by the NCoV to eleven globally (see table below).
The information available suggests human-to-human transmission of the NCoV in this family cluster.
The HPA reports that surveillance of family, close contacts of the two patients and healthcare workers treating the two patients is ongoing, as per the UK National Guidelines. None are currently presenting with symptoms consistent with nCoV.
The HPA is also following-up regarding passengers who may have been exposed while flying with the case announced on 11 February 2013 and are in contact with the airline concerned.
In light of this human-to-human transmission of the NCoV within the family cluster, ECDC is now updating its risk assessment, previously published on 7 December 2012.

Case No.	Date of Onset	Age (years)	Sex	Probable place of infection	Date reported	Source	Outcome
1	April 2012	45	F	Jordan**	30/11/12	WHO/IHR	Dead
2	April 2012	25	M	Jordan**	30/11/12	WHO/IHR	Dead
3	13/06/12	60	M	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*	20/09/12	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/ProMed	Dead
4	03/09/12	49	M	Qatar/ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia***	22/09/12	HPA/WHO	Alive
5	NK	NK	NK	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*	04/11/12	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/ProMed / SMJ	Alive
6	12/10/12	45	M	Qatar****	23/11/12	RKI / WHO	Alive
7	NK	NK	M	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*	19/11/12- 23/11/12	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia/ProMed/ WHO	Alive
8	28/10/12	NK	M	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*	23/11/12	WHO	Dead
9	October 2012	NK	M	Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*	28/11/12	WHO	Dead
10	24 /1/2013	60	M	Pakistan/ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia*	8/1/13	EWRS	Alive/Hospitalised
11	6/2/2013	NK	M	United Kingdom*	12/02/13	HPA	Alive/Hospitalised

* Part of family cluster
** Healthcare worker and part of outbreak linked to hospital
*** Patient transferred to UK
**** Patient transferred to Germany
NK: not known

http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/press/n...2FLists%2FNews

Biological · #12 February 13th, 2013, 01:36 PM

Global Alert and Response (GAR) GAR Home

Disease Outbreak News

13 February 2013
Novel coronavirus infection – update

Novel coronavirus infection – update
13 February 2013 - The United Kingdom (UK) has informed WHO of another confirmed case of infection with the novel coronavirus (NCoV). The patient is a UK resident and a relative of the case announced on 11 February 2013.

The latest confirmed case does not have any recent travel history outside the UK and is currently hospitalized in an intensive care unit. It is understood that this patient has pre-existing medical conditions that may have increased susceptibility to respiratory infections.

Confirmed NCoV in a person without recent travel history indicates that infection was acquired in the UK. To date, evidence of person-to-person transmission has been limited. Although this case is suggestive of person-to-person transmission, on the basis of current evidence, the risk of sustained person-to-person transmission appears to be very low.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is following up on all close contacts (family and healthcare workers) who may have been exposed to either of these two new confirmed cases.

As of 13 February 2013, a total of 11 confirmed cases of human infection with NCoV have been notified to WHO, with no change in the number of fatalities i.e., five deaths since April 2012.

Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns. Testing for the new coronavirus should be considered in patients with unexplained pneumonias, or in patients with unexplained severe, progressive or complicated respiratory illness not responding to treatment.

Any clusters of SARI or SARI in healthcare workers should be thoroughly investigated, regardless of where in the world they occur.

New cases and clusters of the NCoV should be reported promptly both to national health authorities and to WHO.

WHO does not advise special screening at points of entry with regard to this event nor does it recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied.

WHO continues to monitor closely the situation.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_02_13/en/index.html

Treyfish · #13 February 13th, 2013, 06:43 PM

Race to stop spread of 'Sars': Hunt for family and friends of two Brits with deadly virus

13 Feb 2013 21:54
Six NHS staff were today being closely monitored for signs of symptoms after they had “close” contact with one of the patients

Doctors are scrambling to trace dozens of friends and relatives of two Brits hit by a deadly Sars-like virus to stop it spreading across the UK .

They want to test them urgently to see if they have caught the new *coronavirus – and prevent them passing it on to yet more people.

Six NHS staff were today being closely monitored for signs of symptoms after they had “close” contact with one of the patients.

The Health Protection Agency today revealed a Birmingham patient being treated for the strain is related to a Brit fighting for life in Manchester.

more...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...ds-two-1708617

sharon sanders · #14 February 13th, 2013, 07:29 PM

Please only copy/paste facts and/or a snip of each article with a link back.

Some are using copyright laws to attempt to control the internet. We do not want to get caught up in this intrigue.

alert · #15 February 14th, 2013, 07:02 AM

Apparently, case #11 is the son of case #10. And 10 of the 11 cases so far are male, with the female nurse in Jordan being the only female case.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21452805

13 February 2013 Last updated at 14:14 ET A man is in intensive care in Birmingham after he was infected with a new type of respiratory virus from his father.