China pneumonia outbreak raises spectre of Sars as number infected jumps to 44

All those with the mystery illness in Wuhan are under quarantine, health authorities say, with a further 121 people under medical observation

The virus could be a new strain and take longer to identify, experts say

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Wuhan Medical Treatment Centre, where some patients are reportedly in quarantine. Photo: Weibo

Laurie Chen,Christy Leung,Zhuang PinghuiandJosephine Ma

Published: 5:35pm, 3 Jan 2020Updated: 8:43pm, 17 Feb 2020

Chinese health authorities should be on high alert for a possible new strain of pneumonia and learn from 2002’s deadly Sars epidemic, medical experts said after cases of a mystery outbreak almost doubled in three days.

The authorities in Wuhan, central China, said 44 people had been admitted to hospital with the unidentified virus, up from the 27 reported on Tuesday. Eleven of them were in a serious condition, while a further 121 people who had been in close contact with the infected patients had been placed under medical observation. No deaths have been reported.

Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said that the origin of the viral pneumonia outbreak remained unknown. It said investigations had so far ruled out common flu, avian flu, adenovirus infection and other common respiratory diseases. Further laboratory tests and investigations were under way.

The commission added that there was no proof of human-to-human transmission, nor had any medical staff contracted the illness.

Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where some of the viral pneumonia cases originated. Photo: Handout

It came as Hong Kong Hospital Authority said on Friday that two female patients admitted to hospital after recently visiting Wuhan had been confirmed as having influenza, not the unidentified virus. In response to the Wuhan outbreak, airports in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan had tightened fever surveillance of arriving passengers.