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Thursday, January 09, 2020, 11:09
Evaluater says new coronavirus caused Wuhan pneumonia
By Xinhua
Thursday, January 09, 2020, 11:09 By Xinhua

This undated photo shows the Huanan seafood wholesale market linked to the mysterious pneumonia outbreak 

BEIJING - Preliminary lab results showed a new type of coronavirus caused the viral pneumonia in central China's Wuhan, Xu Jianguo, a Chinese expert who led a team to evaluate the pathogen test results, said.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). 

The newly detected coronavirus is different from known human coronavirus species, said Xu, who is with the Chinese Academy of Engineering

The newly detected coronavirus is different from known human coronavirus species, said Xu, who is with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Laboratory tests on samples from patients found 15 positive results of the new-type coronavirus, and the virus was isolated from one patient's samples, Xu said.

READ MORE: Pneumonia: China finds no human-to-human spread

Six human coronaviruses species have been discovered, four of which only cause mild respiratory symptoms. The other two are linked to SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), respectively.

Xu said that further research will be conducted to better understand the new coronavirus. It may take years for researchers to develop medicines and vaccines.

A total of 59 viral pneumonia cases, with causes unknown previously, were reported in Wuhan by late Sunday, with seven patients in serious condition. Eight patients have been cured of the disease and were discharged from hospital Wednesday, local health authorities said. 

ALSO READ: Wuhan outbreak: DAB calls on liaison office for coordination

Also on Wednesday, World Health Organization (WHO) said the Wuhan outbreak may have been caused by a newly emerging member of the family of viruses that caused the deadly SARS and MERS outbreaks.

WHO said the Wuhan outbreak may have been caused by a newly emerging member of the family of viruses that caused the deadly SARS and MERS outbreaks

While the United Nations health agency said it needed more comprehensive information to confirm precisely the type of pathogen causing the infections, it said a new coronavirus was a possibility. 

"The initial information about the cases of pneumonia in Wuhan...pointed to a coronavirus as a possible pathogen causing this cluster," the WHO said in a statement. 

It added that since Chinese authorities have conducted laboratory tests and eliminated the SARS coronavirus and the MERS one as possible causes, as well as flu, bird flu, adenovirus and other common respiratory pathogens, "therefore, a novel coronavirus could not be ruled out". 

Chinese state television was more conclusive, citing pathogen test results from a preliminary assessment expert group. "As of January 7, 2020, the laboratory detected a new type of coronavirus," China Central Television (CCTV) said in a report on Tuesday.

"The new coronavirus that caused this epidemic situation is different from previously discovered human coronaviruses, and further understanding of the virus requires more scientific research." 

The CCTV report did not identify the laboratory or the expert group.

While regions including China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Singapore have reported illnesses from travelers who had been to Wuhan, none so far has shown a link to the pneumonia cluster.

With inputs from agencies

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