Mystery Respiratory Illness Reported in Southeast Alabama
Posted on May 21, 2013
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is reporting a cluster of a mystery respiratory illness. The ADPH says seven people have been admitted to a hospital with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Two of the patients have died.
The ADPH says lab samples are currently being tested at the ADPH Bureau of Clinical Laboratories and CDC's Respiratory Laboratory. The ADPH and CDC are both recommending the hospital use respiratory precautions, which includes staff wearing N95 masks.
NBC reports that state helath officials say there is no evidence of any flu virus, including the deadly new H7N9 strain in China. NBC also says none of the patients have been out of the country where they could have encountered MERS, the new Sars-like coronavirus.