Mystery Illness May Stem From Hong Kong Hotel

U.S. Officials Investigate 11 Suspected Cases

The mysterious outbreak that stems from Southeast Asia may have been triggered by a sick doctor from southern China who infected six other people at a Hong Kong hotel, several news agencies reported Thursday.

The Agence France Presse reported that Hong Kong's director of health, Margaret Chan, said all seven people stayed on the ninth floor of the Metropole hotel in the district of Kowloon between Feb. 15 and Feb. 27.

The British Broadcasting Corp. reported that Hong Kong officials' findings increase suspicions that the illness, severe acute respiratory syndrome, is related to an epidemic in China last fall, which infected more than 300 people.

The illness, which surfaced in Asia, prompted a worldwide health alert last week. There have been confirmed and suspected cases reported around the world.

As of Thursday, the World Health Organization reported that the worldwide count of SARS cases totaled 306, with 14 deaths. Most are in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told senators Wednesday that the government is investigating 40 reports of the virus in the United States, and is looking carefully at 11 of those.

With hundreds of travelers from Asia arriving in California every day, the state health department is on the alert for possible victims of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

One suspected case has been reported in Los Angeles, but that man is reported to be recovering.

California health officials say anyone who comes down with a high fever or breathing problems within seven days after traveling in Asia should report to their doctor right away.

Researchers studying the disease suspect it is a new virus in a common family of viruses that cause mumps, measles and some animal diseases.

But Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there are many viruses in that family. She said researchers are still looking for the cause of SARS.

Previous Stories:

• March 19, 2003: Deaths From Mysterious Illness Climb To 14
• March 18, 2003: CDC Experts Work To Pinpoint Mystery Pathogen
• March 17, 2003: Mystery Illness Spreads More Slowly Than Flu
• March 16, 2003: Pneumonia Scare Puts CDC In Emergency Mode
• March 15, 2003: World Health Alert Issued For Killer Pneumonia

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