Chinese Health Authorities Work To Discover Cause Of Viral Pneumonia Outbreak; CDC Issues Travel Notice For Wuhan

New York Times: China Grapples With Mystery Pneumonia-Like Illness
“…59 people in the central city of Wuhan … have been sickened by a pneumonia-like illness, the cause of which is unclear. The cases have alarmed Chinese officials, who are racing to unravel the mystery behind them in a region where the memory of an outbreak of the dangerous respiratory disease known as SARS remains fresh. … On Sunday, the city government said they had ruled out as causes SARS, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bird flu, and the adenovirus…” (Wee et al., 1/6).

Outbreak News Today: CDC issues travel notice for Wuhan, China due to pneumonia cluster
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel notice Monday for travelers to Wuhan, Hubei province, China due to the cluster of cases of pneumonia of an unknown etiology…” (1/7).

Wall Street Journal: Health Officials Work to Solve China’s Mystery Virus Outbreak
“Authorities are working to establish the source of the infection, as well as identify the virus and whether it is a previously unrecorded strain. Some infections are linked to vendors from a seafood market in Wuhan, and authorities have ordered the market closed. … The World Health Organization said Sunday that the illness could indicate an exposure link to animals, without elaborating. The agency said it was in close contact with the national authorities in China and was closely monitoring the situation, but didn’t recommend any specific measures for travelers…” (Wang et al., 1/6).

Additional coverage of the outbreak is available from The Hill, STAT, The Telegraph, and Vox.

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