Re: South Korea - 8 patients reportedly with "mysterious" pneumonia - 7 are pregnant or recently delivered mothers
Archive Number 20110511.1447
Published Date 11-MAY-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Pulmonary fibrosis - South Korea: (Seoul) RFI
PULMONARY FIBROSIS - SOUTH KOREA: (SEOUL), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ****************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date Wed 11 May 2011
Source: Korea Joongang Daily [edited]
<http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2936045>
A mystery virus that has infected 8 patients from different parts of
the country claimed its 1st known victim yesterday morning [10 May
2011] after a 36-year-old, 9-months pregnant woman died in a Seoul
hospital of multiple organ failure triggered by pulmonary fibrosis and
a stroke. The Korea Centers for Disease Control [KCDC] and Prevention
said yesterday that the woman had received intensive care treatment in
a general hospital in Seoul for a month before her death. Doctors
managed to save the baby.
According to the KCDC, the victim was one of the 8 patients in the
hospital receiving treatment for various conditions suspected to be
caused by the same unidentified virus. All patients initially received
treatments at different clinics around the country, but were later
transferred to the Seoul hospital to receive intensive care, the KCDC
said. The patients were not infected at a single hospital, it said.
7 of the 8 patients, including the victim, were pregnant or had
recently given birth. One was an adult male in his 40s. One patient
was treated and released on 4 May [2011], and another received a lung
transplant after treatments failed.
The KCDC said the 36-year-old victim visited a clinic on 8 Apr [2011]
after showing severe cold- or flu-like symptoms. On 11 Apr [2011], she
was rushed to the Seoul hospital. Despite the hospital's efforts,
pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, developed rapidly. After
suffering from cerebral hemorrhage, the patient died 7 a.m. yesterday
[10 May 2011].
As anxiety spreads over the mysterious disease, health authorities
said they are trying to identify the virus. Other possibilities,
including bacterial infections and other immunological diseases, are
being investigated. Initial tests by the hospital discovered
adenovirus and coronavirus, common cold causes, in 2 patients. But the
KCDC said they may not be the cause of the pulmonary fibrosis. "So
far, we have found viruses that are often discovered in common cold
patients," said Yang Byeong-guk, head of infectious diseases at the
KCDC. "What's important is to identify whether the pulmonary fibrosis
is triggered by a new kind of virus or not."
[Byline: Yim Seung-hye]
--
Communicated by:
J Michael Peat
<michael.peat@juno.com>
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Korea can be
accessed at <http://healthmap.org/r/00bh>.
There is not enough information to suggest an etiological agent (or
agents) responsible for these cases, nor is the basis provided for
concluding that a virus is responsible. - Mod.TY]
[Pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by many conditions including
chronic inflammatory processes (sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis
), infections, environmental agents (asbestos, silica, exposure to
certain gases), exposure to ionizing radiation (such as radiation
therapy to treat tumors of the chest), chronic conditions (lupus,
rheumatoid arthritis), and certain medications.
In a condition known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, fibrosis of the
lung can develop following a heightened immune reaction to inhaled
organic dusts or occupational chemicals. This condition most often
results from inhaling dust contaminated with bacterial, fungal, or
animal products.
In some people, chronic pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis develop
without an identifiable cause. Most of these people have a condition
called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that does not respond to
medical therapy, while some of the other types of fibrosis, such as
nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis (NSIP), may respond to immune
suppressive therapy. (For further information see
<http://www.medicinenet.com/pulmonary_fibrosis/article.htm#tocb>)
There is no direct evidence that a virus (or any other infectious
agent) is responsible for the condition of the 8 patients in the Seoul
hospital. They appear to have been referred from other clinics for
treatment in the Seoul hospital, and most, but not all, are pregnant,
or recently pregnant, women. The press report above suggests that the
pulmonary fibrosis in these patients may have been a result of
infection by an unidentified virus. Since only 2 common respiratory
viruses (an adenovirus and a coronavirus) have been isolated from only
2 of the 8 patients, this seems an unlikely prediction.
Further information on the outcome of the investigation currently
being conducted by the KCDC is awaited. - Mod.CP]
Archive Number 20110511.1447
Published Date 11-MAY-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Pulmonary fibrosis - South Korea: (Seoul) RFI
PULMONARY FIBROSIS - SOUTH KOREA: (SEOUL), REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ****************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date Wed 11 May 2011
Source: Korea Joongang Daily [edited]
<http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2936045>
A mystery virus that has infected 8 patients from different parts of
the country claimed its 1st known victim yesterday morning [10 May
2011] after a 36-year-old, 9-months pregnant woman died in a Seoul
hospital of multiple organ failure triggered by pulmonary fibrosis and
a stroke. The Korea Centers for Disease Control [KCDC] and Prevention
said yesterday that the woman had received intensive care treatment in
a general hospital in Seoul for a month before her death. Doctors
managed to save the baby.
According to the KCDC, the victim was one of the 8 patients in the
hospital receiving treatment for various conditions suspected to be
caused by the same unidentified virus. All patients initially received
treatments at different clinics around the country, but were later
transferred to the Seoul hospital to receive intensive care, the KCDC
said. The patients were not infected at a single hospital, it said.
7 of the 8 patients, including the victim, were pregnant or had
recently given birth. One was an adult male in his 40s. One patient
was treated and released on 4 May [2011], and another received a lung
transplant after treatments failed.
The KCDC said the 36-year-old victim visited a clinic on 8 Apr [2011]
after showing severe cold- or flu-like symptoms. On 11 Apr [2011], she
was rushed to the Seoul hospital. Despite the hospital's efforts,
pulmonary fibrosis, or scarring of the lungs, developed rapidly. After
suffering from cerebral hemorrhage, the patient died 7 a.m. yesterday
[10 May 2011].
As anxiety spreads over the mysterious disease, health authorities
said they are trying to identify the virus. Other possibilities,
including bacterial infections and other immunological diseases, are
being investigated. Initial tests by the hospital discovered
adenovirus and coronavirus, common cold causes, in 2 patients. But the
KCDC said they may not be the cause of the pulmonary fibrosis. "So
far, we have found viruses that are often discovered in common cold
patients," said Yang Byeong-guk, head of infectious diseases at the
KCDC. "What's important is to identify whether the pulmonary fibrosis
is triggered by a new kind of virus or not."
[Byline: Yim Seung-hye]
--
Communicated by:
J Michael Peat
<michael.peat@juno.com>
[A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of South Korea can be
accessed at <http://healthmap.org/r/00bh>.
There is not enough information to suggest an etiological agent (or
agents) responsible for these cases, nor is the basis provided for
concluding that a virus is responsible. - Mod.TY]
[Pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by many conditions including
chronic inflammatory processes (sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis
), infections, environmental agents (asbestos, silica, exposure to
certain gases), exposure to ionizing radiation (such as radiation
therapy to treat tumors of the chest), chronic conditions (lupus,
rheumatoid arthritis), and certain medications.
In a condition known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, fibrosis of the
lung can develop following a heightened immune reaction to inhaled
organic dusts or occupational chemicals. This condition most often
results from inhaling dust contaminated with bacterial, fungal, or
animal products.
In some people, chronic pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis develop
without an identifiable cause. Most of these people have a condition
called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that does not respond to
medical therapy, while some of the other types of fibrosis, such as
nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis (NSIP), may respond to immune
suppressive therapy. (For further information see
<http://www.medicinenet.com/pulmonary_fibrosis/article.htm#tocb>)
There is no direct evidence that a virus (or any other infectious
agent) is responsible for the condition of the 8 patients in the Seoul
hospital. They appear to have been referred from other clinics for
treatment in the Seoul hospital, and most, but not all, are pregnant,
or recently pregnant, women. The press report above suggests that the
pulmonary fibrosis in these patients may have been a result of
infection by an unidentified virus. Since only 2 common respiratory
viruses (an adenovirus and a coronavirus) have been isolated from only
2 of the 8 patients, this seems an unlikely prediction.
Further information on the outcome of the investigation currently
being conducted by the KCDC is awaited. - Mod.CP]
Comment