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WHO, Event Information Site for IHR National Focal

Event Updates: 24 January 2020 to 26 January 2020

Health Information Update

Source: WHO, Event Information Site for IHR National Focal

Event Updates: 24 January 2020 to 26 January 2020

 

 

 

Event Updated

 Country Hazard Disease Event Description IHR Assessment
2020-01-26 Australia Infectious Coronavirus Infection (Novel Coronavirus 2019) On 25 January 2020, National IHR Focal Point (NFP) for Australia reported the first four cases of novel coronavirus in Australia. Public Health Risk
Details of the case/s:
The first case is a 53-year-old male, a Chinese national residing in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. The case reported feeling well while travelling from Wuhan, Hubei Province to Melbourne, Australia through Guangzhou, China on 19 January 2020. He developed a fever and lethargy on the night of arrival. The case did not leave his residence except to seek medical advice. The case visited a hospital emergency department on 24 January 2020 and was isolated immediately. The case remains in isolation and is in a stable condition despite developing pneumonia. On 24 January 2020, a sample was sent to the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) in Melbourne for further characterisation as part of routine investigations and confirmatory testing for novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV.

The second case in a 35-year-old male who presented to an emergency department in Sydney with fever and a cough, and was subsequently hospitalised. Specimens taken on 23 January, tested positive for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Travel history to be confirmed.

The third case is a 53-year- old resident of Hubei Province who travelled to Sydney via Wuhan on 19 January 2020. Specimens taken on 22 January 2020 tested positive for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The fourth case is a 43-year-old male who presented to an emergency department in Sydney with a fever and subsequently hospitalised. This patient tested positive for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).  Travel history to be confirmed.

Authorities are currently seeking additional information regarding the characterisation of the virus from the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) in Melbourne. This information will be shared with appropriate authorities upon receipt.
Risk Assessment:
Australia is now the seventh country to report imported 2019-nCoV cases by Chinese travellers from Wuhan, China. According to the latest information received and WHO analysis, there is evidence of limited human to human transmission of 2019-nCoV among the initial cases reported from Wuhan city. In addition, Lunar New Year celebrations will see a substantial increase in the numbers of people travelling to and from China and within China, so there is the possibility that more exported cases will be found in the coming weeks.
WHO advice/recommendations:
WHO does not recommend any specific health measures for travelers. In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, the travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their health care provider.
Interference with International travel or trade:
No
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020-01-25

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VietNam

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infectious

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronavirus Infection

(Novel Coronavirus 2019)

 On 24 January 2020, the Viet Nam Ministry of Health reported two confirmed cases, among travellers from China, with preliminary laboratory testing results of imported 2019-nCoV virus infection.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Health Risk
Details of the case/s:
The first case is a 66-year-old male resident of Wuhan city, Hubei province, China. The case reportedly has various underlying conditions including diabetes, hypertension, and other medical history. On 13 January 2020, he arrived in Ha Noi, Viet Nam with no symptoms. He then travelled to Nha Trang city (Khanh Hoa) on 17 January, to Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC) on 19 January, and to the Southern province of Long An on 20 January. On 17 January, he developed fever and tiredness, without cough or other respiratory symptoms, and on 22 January was admited to Binh Chanh hospital in HCMC where he was referred on the same day to Cho Ray hospital, both in HCMC.

The wife of the first case accompanied him from Wuhan on 13 January but so far has not developed any symptoms, and her health is currently being monitored.

The second case is a 28-year-old male resident of Wuhan city, Hubei province, China; son of the first case. He has been working in Long An province and in the past four months he has not gone back to Wuhan or China. He accompanied his father from 17 January after they met in Nha Trang. On 20 January, he developed fever and was admited to Cho Ray hospital on 22 January, together with his father.

Currently, both patients are in stable condition. Samples were taken from both cases and tested at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh city on 23 January 2020. The 2019-nCoV infections was confirmed for both cases by real-time RT-PCR. The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh is working with WHO and international research institutes to reconfirm the test results. Currently discussions are ongoing.

Prior to this, three suspected cases of novel coronavirus infections with fever and coming from Wuhan through Da Nang airport and Cam Ranh airport were identified and investigated. However, they were excluded from 2019-nCoV infection.
Risk Assessment:
Viet Nam is the sixth country to report a confirmed case of 2019-nCoV exported from Wuhan City, China.  According to the latest information received and based on WHO analysis, there is evidence of human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCoV although this transmission is not sustained among the initial cases reported from Wuhan city; International spread through travellers did already occur therefore further spread of the disease is possible.
Interference with International travel or trade:
No
 

 

 

 

 

 

2020-01-24

  

 

 

 

 

 

Singapore

  

 

 

 

 

 

Infectious

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronavirus Infection (Novel Coronavirus 2019)

 The Ministry of Health (MOH) had confirmed three imported cases of novel coronavirus infection (2019-nCoV) in Singapore.  

 

 

 

 

 

Public Health Risk
Details of the case/s:
On 23 January 2020, the first imported case was confirmed. The patient is a 66-year-old male Chinese national from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore with family on 20 January 2020. The patient reported that he developed sore throat on 20 January, and subsequently developed fever and cough on 21 January. While in Singapore, he had travelled from the Changi airport to the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Hotel by a chartered car. On 21 January, he developed fever and cough, but spent most of the day within the hotel’s vicinity. On 22 January, he presented at the Emergency Department (ED) of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with his 37-year-old son. The patient was diagnosed with pneumonia upon admission. He is currently in a stable condition and remains isolated at SGH.

 

MOH has initiated contact tracing. A total of 46 close contacts had been identified, among them are nine close contacts who were also the patient’s travelling companion, including his 37-year-old son. On the evening of 23 January, his son also developed symptoms and was isolated at SGH as well. He subsequently tested positive for 2019-nCoV on 24 January.

The eight other travelers who accompanied the case and his son had left Singapore for Malaysia. The Malaysia NFP had been informed of this event, and Singapore MOH will be working with Malaysia on the necessary follow-up actions.

On 24 January, a third imported case was also confirmed. The patient is a 53 year-old female Chinese national from Wuhan, who had travelled with her 28 year old daughter. She claimed to have no contact history with a confirmed case while in Wuhan. Both the case and her daughter flew on a direct flight from Wuhan to Singapore on 21 January, and the case was afebrile on the flight. The case subsequently developed symptoms including fever, chills and cough later in the day. On 22 January, she took a taxi to Raffles Hospital, and was then transferred to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) via ambulance, where she was subsequently admitted and isolated. Her health condition is stable. Her 28-year old daughter has also been admitted to TTSH and isolated as a suspect case after developing symptoms. Contact tracing is currently underway. 

 

The health status of all close contacts will be monitored closely. As a precautionary measure, they will be quarantined and monitored for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient. Those who develop symptoms will be conveyed to hospital in a dedicated ambulance for further assessment. All other contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance, and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status.

Currently, Singapore has identified 44 other suspected cases, of which 13 had been ruled out. 
Risk Assessment:
This is the fifth country to report confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV exported from Wuhan City. The exact extent of the outbreak remains imprecise. Exported cases of 2019-nCoV are expected to occur, particularly given the degree of international travel from China. The risk of international spread from Singapore is low.
Interference with International travel or trade:
No
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020-01-24

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Republic of Korea (the)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infectious

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronavirus Infection (Novel Coronavirus 2019)

 On 20 January 2020, National IHR Focal Point (NFP) for Republic of Korea reported the first case of novel coronavirus in the Republic of Korea.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Health Risk
Details of the case/s:
The case is a 35-year-old female, Chinese national, residing in Wuhan, Hubei province in China.  The case had developed fever, chill, and muscle pain on 18 January 2020 while in Wuhan. She visited a local hospital in Wuhan and was initially diagnosed with a cold. On 19 January 2020, the case was detected with fever (38.3 °C) upon arrival at the Incheon International Airport. The patient was transferred to a national designated isolation hospital for testing and treatment. She was tested positive for pancoronavirus RT-PCR assay, and subsequently was confirmed positive for 2019-nCoV on 20 January 2020 by sequencing at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Upon detection, the patient had chills, runny nose, and muscle pain.

The case did not report visiting any markets, including Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, nor did she have known contact with confirmed 2019-nCoV cases or wild animals in Wuhan city.

The patient is currently under isolation receiving treatment and is in stable condition.
Risk Assessment:
The Republic of Korea is the third country to report an imported 2019-nCoV case by a Chinese traveler from Wuhan, China. According to the latest information received and WHO analysis, there is evidence of limited human to human transmission of 2019-nCoV among the initial cases reported from Wuhan city.
Interference with International travel or trade:
No
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020-01-24

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States of America (the)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infectious

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coronavirus Infection (Novel Coronavirus 2019)

 On 21 January 2020, the IHR National Focal Point (NFP) for the United States of America reported the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Health Risk
Details of the case/s:
The case is a 35-year-old Chinese male resident of Snohomish County, Washington State, who travelled from the United States to Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on 26 November 2019. He returned to Snohomish County, Washington State, United States, on 15 January 2020 and had onset of symptoms on 16 January 2020. The case was seen at a clinic in Snohomish County and was later transported to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington. The case had normal chest x-rays and tested negative for influenza virus. The case did not report exposure to ill persons, livestock, or seafood/animal markets while in the People’s Republic of China. Because of a travel history to Wuhan city, the case was tested for 2019-nCoV and is being currently observed at the Medical Center. Patient samples were collected on 19 January 2020, which were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC); on 20 January 2020, the samples tested positive for 2019-nCoV through real-time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (rRT-PCR). CDC is actively coordinating with state and local health departments on the response.
Risk Assessment:
The United States of America is the fourth country to report an exported 2019-nCoV case.  According to the latest information received and based on WHO analysis, there is evidence of human-to-human transmission of 2019-nCoV although this transmission is not sustained among the initial cases reported from Wuhan city; therefore, further spread of the disease is possible.
Interference with International travel or trade:
No
2020-01-24 Brazil Infectious Arenaviral haemorrhagic fevers (Sabia-like Arenavirus) On 17 January 2020, the Brazil IHR National Focal Point (NFP) reported one laboratory-confirmed fatal case of Brazilian Haemorrhagic Fever (BHF). Public Health Risk
Details of the case/s:
The case is a 52-year-old man resident from Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil (South East of the country). This patient had onset of symptoms on 30 December 2019 (odynophagia, epigastric pain radiating to the precordium, associated with nausea, vertigo, dry mouth and myalgia). He did not seek medical attention and self-medicated with palliatives drugs. On 31 December, he sought medical attention and was treated ambulatory. On 3 January 2020, he was hospitalized with the hypothesis diagnostic of yellow fever and was subsequently transferred to a second hospital. On following days, he presented with alteration of mental status and bleeding at the puncture site for obtaining of cerebrospinal fluid. On 10 January, he died after multiorgan failure.

Yellow fever, hepatitis A, B, C, E, HIV, chikungunya, toxoplasmosis, Zika virus, dengue, cytomegalovirus, Epstein Barr, erythrovirus, syphilis, varicella zoster, herpes simplex type 1, 2, human herpes 6, 7 and enterovirus were ruled out. On 7 January, according to a complete genomic sequence, a New World Mammarenavirus similar (90% identity) to the previously reported strain of Sabia virus was identified in the Israeli Hospital.

The likely place and type/source of exposure are currently not known, but there is a history to a trip to waterfalls and another trip to a farm in the Vale do Ribeira (Southern to Sao Paulo State) one month and two months respectively, prior to the onset of symptoms.
Risk Assessment:
Arenavirus infections, such as other zoonoses, are usually restricted to the area where the reservoir lives; however, considering the volume of international travels, the occurrence of sporadic imported cases may not be ruled out.
Interference with International travel or trade:
No

*A public health risk is something that is (or is likely to be) hazardous to human health or could contribute to a disease or an infectious condition in humans.