NZ joins watch for jet-borne killer disease

By BERNARD ORSMAN and AGENCIES

The Ministry of Health is monitoring a rare worldwide alert from the World Health Organisation about a deadly new form of pneumonia that has spread from Asia by jet and killed nine people.

Ministry spokesman Dr Lance Jennings told the Herald last night that anyone returning from Asia with symptoms of the virus should contact his or her doctor or a medical officer of health.

The symptoms include a high fever, coughing and shortness of breath.

The WHO has issued its first worldwide alert in 10 years because of the speed at which the disease travels and because patients do not respond to the usual treatments for pneumonia.

New Zealand has not had any cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome, a virulent strain of what is known as atypical pneumonia.

Elsewhere, nine deaths have been linked to the highly contagious virus.

The latest victim was a young Vietnamese nurse who died at the weekend.

She contracted the disease after treating an American businessman who died of it last week.

A Canadian woman and her son died last week after being infected while visiting Hong Kong.

Another five deaths in southern China have also been linked.

WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said: "Until we can get a grip on it, I don't see how it will slow down.

"People are not responding to antibiotics and antivirals. It's a highly contagious disease and it's moving around by jet. It's bad."

Dr Jennings, a virologist for the Canterbury District Health Board, said the ministry would follow WHO advice on issuing specific travel advice to New Zealanders.

The WHO issued a general emergency travel advisory on Saturday.

"I suspect what we will see as more information becomes available will be the Ministry of Health giving specific advice to New Zealanders as to what to look out for and who to contact.

"In the meantime, if people are concerned at all, if they develop respiratory symptoms returning from overseas, they should talk to their general practitioner or their local medical officer of health."

Dr Jennings said there was a national surveillance network for influenza. The ministry also had a public health emergency plan for influenza, with a national planning committee.

An Air New Zealand spokesman said the airline was keeping an eye on the mystery disease to see what developed.

"The air quality on the planes is rigorously monitored, and our systems catch 99.9 per cent of bacteria and infections.

"The probability of anyone catching or contracting any disease or infection in flight is almost always only going to be achieved through direct person-to-person contact."

A New Zealand spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific, which flies 10 direct flights from Auckland to Hong Kong each week, said the airline had received no instructions from Hong Kong about the situation.

On Friday, the Singapore Health Ministry advised people to avoid travelling to Hong Kong, Hanoi and Guangdong "unless absolutely necessary".

Hong Kong's Health Secretary, Yeoh Eng Kiong, responded by angrily denying there was an outbreak of atypical pneumonia in the territory.

Several travel industry operators in Hong Kong have expressed fears that tourism could be dented by news of the pneumonia cases.

More than 100 people have been hit by the illness in Asia.

Health alert

The World Health Organisation warns travellers to be aware of symptoms, which include:

A fever greater than 38C and respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing AND

* Close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

* Recent history of travel to areas reporting cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Anyone with this combination of symptoms should seek medical help.

Anyone who develops these symptoms is advised not to travel until they have recovered.

Countries where cases have been identified are Canada, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.