The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission pointed out that 59 cases of the mysterious viral pneumonia have been reported through Jan. 5 and seven are severe cases. The Hong Kong Hospital Authority also announced that the number of suspected patients has increased to 17. Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control also announced that it was expanding conditions for reporting and sampling.


The mysterious viral pneumonia outbreak in China's Wuhan is spreading. On the 5th, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission revealed that seven of the 59 reported cases so far are in "serious" condition but no evidence has been found of human-to-human transmission. As no medical personnel have been infected either, authorities have ruled out the flu, bird flu, adenovirus, SARS, and MERS as causes.

The Hong Kong Hospital Authority, meanwhile, has confirmed nine new suspected cases for a total of 17. Five of the patients have been released from the hospital while four have been diagnosed with different influenza strains or respiratory tract infections.

The Hospital Authority and private doctors are required to report any cases patients with fevers that have been to Wuhan within the last 14 days, regardless of whether the patient visited markets or not.

Taiwan recently began conducting disembarkation inspections for arriving flights from Wuhan. Eight of the 747 passengers and flight crew members on eight flights have had mild symptoms but not pneumonia. The Centers for Disease Control says if the situation in Wuhan worsens, the scope of flight inspections will be expanded.

It's better to be safe than sorry and we are strengthening the diagnosis capacity of this laboratory as well as reporting and various response measures.

We are asking anyone that has been to Wuhan in the last 14 days with a fever or respiratory tract infection to go to a hospital to get medical attention. Doctors will be responsible for reporting and taking test samples.

Doctors must report patients with severe pneumonia that have been to Wuhan within 14 days of falling ill. In addition, anyone that has been to Wuhan in the last two weeks that is experiencing respiratory distress, pneumonia, general soreness or other discomfort should seek medical attention immediately and proactively inform their doctor of their travel history.



中國武漢不明原因肺炎感染，病例再度增加。武漢市衛生健康委員會5號晚間發布公告，表示目前已出現59起病例，其中7起是重症患者，同時指出，沒有發現明確的人傳人證據，也沒發現醫務人員感染，並排除流感、禽流感、腺病毒、SARS和MERS等呼吸道病原，病原鑑定和病因溯源工作仍在進行中。


而在香港，醫院管理局5號晚間表示，香港又增加9個疑似病例，累積的疑似個案，已增加到17例，目前有5人出院，4人確認感染不同型的流感病毒或呼吸道病毒。

香港食物及衛生局長 陳肇始表示：「監測的範圍已經擴大中，過去14天內曾去過武漢，不管有去過街市或沒去過街市，只要發燒的話，醫管局及私家醫生都需要呈報。」

台灣從去年底就啟動、武漢直航入境班機登機檢疫，八航班共檢疫747名旅客及機組員，出現8名輕症旅客，評估後已排除不明肺炎。衛福部疾管署5號進一步表示，如果武漢當地疫情持續擴散到社區，會擴大登機檢疫航班範圍。

衛福部疾管署副署長 莊人祥表示：「應該料敵從寬，禦敵從嚴，強化這個實驗室的診斷量能，加強通報跟各項的一個應變措施。」

衛福部疾管署急性組組長 楊靖慧表示：「14日內從武漢返國的民眾，如果出現發燒跟呼吸道症狀，我們就請他到醫院去就醫，由醫師來通報採檢。」

疾管署表示，要將原先通報及採檢條件，從患者出現嚴重肺炎，且病發前10天到過武漢，擴大到14天。若民眾病發前14天到過武漢，出現呼吸急促、肺炎、身體痠痛等不適症狀，應立刻就醫，主動告知醫師相關旅遊史，以便快速診斷。