SARS-like New Virus Could Be 'Threat To The Entire World': WHO

A new virus, similar to the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus, and has termed it as a 'threat to the entire world' was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The SARS-like virus termed as MERS has killed 24 people so far, with more than half of 44 people diagnosed with the disease, the New York Daily News reports.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
SARS is a viral respiratory disease caused by SARS-associated coronavirus.

Terming the virus as a threat, WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said that her greatest and immediate concern is that the new coronavirus is emerging faster than people's understanding of its magnitude, adding that the virus cannot be managed or kept to itself by any single affected country.

Stating that WHO does not have necessary information about the virus like its origin and its mode of infection, Chan said that until the organization is capable of answering these questions, they cannot prevent the ever-spreading virus.

The report said that while the coronavirus causes the common cold, the new coronavirus, or MERS, has killed more than half of those who have been diagnosed with it.

SARS: India's drugs in demand
In a report from the Indian capital, the SARS virus has increased demand for macrolides, resulting in severely affected countries like China

Meanwhile, the report said that Dutch scientists have taken the unusual step of patenting the killer virus in an unusual move that might complicate finding a vaccine,.

However, the move has angered the WHO, according to Chan, who said that doing so is impeding the search for treatment, adding that WHO cannot allow making deals between scientists because of their personal wishes to take out intellectual property and publish in scientific journals.

Diagnosis Turns Complicated With SARS Virus Patent
The news SARS-like virus, which claimed the lives of 22 people worldwide in less than a year, is now patented by foreign drug companies, thereby slowing down the diagnosis process.

But, the Dutch researchers said that they patented the virus in order to spark drug companies' interest in developing a vaccine and denied that they had kept the virus from anyone.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the symptoms of the virus includes fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Tech Wizards turn to build Anti-SARS gadgets.
As economys plummets, and the world's economic market struggles to survive. Some of Beijings greatest minds of the Chinese technology sector have

Cases have so far been confirmed in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tunisia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

Source-ANI