The new epidemic that is Sars in the Arabian peninsula is a renewed threat with a convolute origin, not yet entirely unraveled.
In its original form, SARS was a formidable epidemic that began in China after the virus crossed its zoonotic barrier when a small animal, the, civet was sought in the forests and then brought to market for consumption.
The harvesting of exotic animal is nothing new in China. The epidemic however, made China realize what cost there is in not addressing health problems in an organized and meaningful manner.
For all of those who though that SARS had been contained to that frightful episode a few years ago, the lesson to be learned is that these kind of pathogens are never fully understood and even less clearly contained.
Now SARS has apparently made its home in the Arabian peninsula. A handful of cases showed up in Britain earlier in the year, but all the victims had either traveled to Arabia or had relatives who visited from there.
After a few weeks' respite, the virus is once again on the move. Just this week five deaths have been reported in Saudi Arabia, and two more are in critical condition.
All the new coronavirus cases are in Al Ahsa governorate.
This new form of the coronavirus is a slightly different strain than the one that first showed up in China. It has undergone a significant antigen shift and is now more able to infect parts of the lower lung and is also more transmissible, according to researchers.
So far, and not including the latest 7 cases, the WHO has tracked 17 confirmed cases this year, all of them suspected to have some ties to the Arabian peninsula, of which 11 proved fatal. This is a very high rate of mortality, which is alarming researchers, who are now prompting closer than ever monitoring of the mutated virus.
What is puzzling scientists is the new location, which raises questions on its natural source or origin. How it even spreads from human to human is also unknown.
Source : BBC 5.2.13
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