Fifty-nine people were affected by pneumonia of unknown origin in the city of Wuhan (11 million people) in central China. A team of Chinese experts "has preliminarily established" that a new type of coronavirus was responsible for this epidemic, Thursday, January 9, researcher Xu Jianguo of the Chinese Academy of Engineering told the news agency. official new China. "A total of 15 positive cases of the new type of coronavirus have been detected."
The World Health Organization (WHO) had made this assumption on Wednesday. "The first information on the cases of pneumonia in Wuhan - including the activity, location and symptomatic profile of the people affected - indicates that a coronavirus is a pathogen which can be at the origin of this accumulation of cases", estimates l WHO.
Coronaviruses are a family with a large number of viruses that can cause most common mild illnesses in humans, but some such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) or Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ) have resulted in serious epidemics.
No deaths recorded
The latest official assessment of the Wuhan epidemic shows fifty-nine infected people, among whom the disease broke out between 12 and 29 December, including seven seriously affected, the others being in stable condition. Eight other patients, who were cured, were allowed to leave the hospital, China news reported. The affected patients have been quarantined, according to the Wuhan Municipal Hygiene and Health Commission.
"No patient has died yet," said the commission, whose investigation determined that several patients were sellers from a local market specializing in the wholesale of seafood and fish. .
"According to Chinese authorities, the virus can cause serious problems in some patients," writes the WHO, but "it does not spread quickly." The Chinese authorities have "declared that the laboratory tests make it possible to exclude the SARS, the Seas, the flu, the avian flu or an adenovirus", continued the international organization. SARS, a contagious disease, had killed nearly 800 people in 2003, most of them on Chinese territory.
With AFP
Newsletter Don't miss anything from international news
Don't miss anything from international newssubscribe
google-play-badge_FR