30 April 2003, 17:43
First patient with suspicion of atypical pneumonia has been delivered to clinical hospital in Baku
The first patient with the suspicion of atypical pneumonia - a 24-year old citizen of Azerbaijan - was delivered to the Clinical Hospital ? 1 of the Azerbaijan capital Baku.
He flied in from China and felt indisposition. As it was reported in the Azerbaijan Ministry of Health, patient's presumptive diagnosis was an "acute respiratory viral disease". The air passengers who had contacts with the patient have been also hospitalized. According to the assurance of the Azerbaijan Ministry of Health, a strict quarantine regime was established at the airport "Bina" and Baku's railway station. It's difficult to believe it, as there are "shuttling passengers", who surmount any obstacles by means of bribes. Besides, Baku is a center of transit international transportation. The Russian direction, commonly used by passengers from South-East Asia, is the most vulnerable. Russian and local carriers ferry more that 500 passengers to Moscow every day. A third of them are foreigners. It is not improbable that sooner of later an atypical pneumonia virus carrier can be found among them.
As it was reported in the Armenian Ministry of Health, no cases of falling ill with atypical pneumonia have been displayed in the republic. Nevertheless, according to a source, examination of the passengers arriving in the country is carried out at the international airport "Zvartnots" to prevent penetration of the virus into the country. In particular, all the passengers arriving from the South-East countries are registered. An isolation ward has been prepared in the infectious hospital of Erevan - "Nork". Besides, the Armenian specialists maintain a continual contact with the experts from the World Health Organization, get recommendations on disease treatment regiments. It should be noted that atypical pneumonia is accompanied by high temperature and heavy breathing. It was registered for the first time in November 2002 in South-East Asia.
Source: ARMINFO News Agency
