United Nations,Saturday, March 15, 2003: The World Health Organisation has issued a worldwide alert for the first time in ten years afer six people died and hundreds in China, Hong Kong and Vietnam contracted a mysterious respiratory disease which is not responding to antiviral or antibiotic drugs, and the cause of which is yet to be ascertained.
At least six people have died and most others were left with severe breathing difficulties from which they are yet to fully recover, the United Nations health agency said Friday.
Even the most sophisticated tests by leading laboratories in four countries have failed to pinpoint the cause. WHO describes it as "atypical pneumonia" which experts say means nonbacterial pneumonia.

The signs and symptoms of the disease include initial flu-like illness (rapid onset of high fever followed by muscle aches, headache and sore throat). These are the most common symptoms. Some victims seem to get better for two or three days and then relapse developing acute respiratory distress requiring assisted breathing on a respirator. None of the survivers have gotten well yet. Bureau Report