By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Health officials in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China are reporting (computer translated) a total of 59 patients with unexplained diagnosis of viral pneumonia have been reported as of Jan.5, including 7 critically ill patients.

Image/WHO Twitter

No fatal cases have been recorded. All patients are receiving treatment in isolation. 163 close contacts are under medical surveillance.

Among the 59 patients, the earliest onset of the cases was December 12, 2019, and the latest onset was December 29.

An epidemiological survey showed that some patients were operating households in Wuhan South China Seafood City (South China Seafood Wholesale Market). As of now, preliminary investigations have shown no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission and no medical staff infections. Respiratory pathogens such as influenza, avian influenza, adenovirus, infectious atypical pneumonia ( SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been excluded . Pathogen identification and cause tracing are still underway.

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According to a World Health Organization (WHO) risk assessment today, there is limited information to determine the overall risk of this reported cluster of pneumonia of unknown etiology. The reported link to a wholesale fish and live animal market could indicate an exposure link to animals.

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At present, with the support of the state and Hubei Province, Wuhan has adopted the following main prevention and control measures:

  • First, it is to treat patients with all its strength.
  • The second is to carry out isolation treatment for all cases.
  • The third is to continue to conduct relevant case searches and retrospective investigations in medical institutions throughout the city.
  • The fourth is to carry out close contact tracking seriously, implement medical observation on the close contacts that have been tracked according to regulations, and have not found any abnormal symptoms such as fever.
  • Fifth, we will take measures to suspend the market for South China Seafood City, and carry out environmental sanitation and further hygiene investigations.
  • Sixth, actively carry out epidemiological investigations.
  • Seventh, cooperate with the state and province to carry out pathogen identification (including nucleic acid detection and virus isolation and cultivation) and trace the cause of the cause, and prevention and control work is proceeding in an orderly manner.

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