WHO Monitors Cluster of Unexplained Pneumonia Cases in Wuhan, China
The World Health Organization tracks 44 cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause in Wuhan, China, originating from a local seafood market. Chinese authorities isolate patients and monitor over a hundred close contacts as they investigate the source of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization receives reports of 44 patients with pneumonia of an unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. Eleven of these patients experience severe illness, while the other 33 remain in stable condition and receive isolated treatment in local medical institutions.
Health authorities link several of the infected individuals to the Huanan Seafood market, which closes for environmental sanitation and disinfection. Preliminary investigations show no evidence of significant human-to-human transmission or infections among healthcare workers, but officials continue to trace the exact cause of the respiratory illness.
Chinese national authorities identify 121 close contacts and place them under medical observation as pathogen identification continues. The WHO states there is limited information to determine the overall risk, but notes that the spatial and temporal clustering of these winter pneumonia cases warrants prudent handling and close monitoring.