Vietnam Reports More Deaths From Mystery Illness
Experts Closing In On Cause Of SARS
Health officials in Vietnam are watching an increasing number of cases of the mysterious respiratory illness affecting other Asian countries.
A Hanoi doctor and nurse are the latest to die from severe acute respiratory syndrome. There have been 58 cases reported in Vietnam.
Overview
New Cases Scare You?
All About SARS
How SARS WorksMeanwhile, Singapore authorities announced Monday what is being described as the world's largest quarantine. The government has ordered hundreds of exposed people to stay home or risk paying a fine.
The flulike illness has claimed 17 lives and infected more than 450 people worldwide, including 39 cases in the United States.
Thirty-two of the suspected U.S. cases are in people who recently traveled to Asia. The others are either health care personnel or close family members who have been in direct contact with a suspected case, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said.
However, WHO officials maintain that travel shouldn't be interrupted throughout the world at this point in time.
Health officials now believe SARS may actually be a new, virulent version of an old enemy: the common cold virus.
Gerberding said a form of coronavirus is the leading suspect cause of SARS.
Gerberding said evidence of coronavirus has been found in tissue of two people who died, and in blood of some other people.
"This collaboration among scientists led by the World Health Organization is unprecedented," said Gerberding. "We certainly have more work to do, but we think we are on the right track. And our systems to identify cases and investigate them are working too, thanks to all the frontline clinicians and state and local health departments around the country."
However, WHO Dr. Klaus Stohr said at a briefing that two viruses which are consistently isolated from many patients from several countries.
Gerberding said the Defense Department is working on developing a test for the virus and exploring the possible effects of antiviral drugs. But she said a test would take at least weeks to develop. And she said an antiviral treatment would be even more difficult to develop.
Experts worldwide have also been working on diagnostic tests, and Hong Kong scientists announced the first test over the weekend. However, Gerberding expressed reservations about the test, saying the cause of the illness needed to be identified before a proper test can be developed.
Copyright 2003 by NBC6.net. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.