A mysterious virus has spread to a 10th identified person, sparking further concern about whether the potentially dangerous virus, which can cause acute breathing problems and kidney failure, will spread like the 2003 SARS virus.
A woman wears a protective mask as she talks on a mobile phone while waiting for her relatives from Guangzhou at Hong Kong's train terminal December 28, 2003.The 10th case was found in the United Kingdom, with British officials confirming Monday that the new case of coronavirus, a mysterious disease related to SARS that was first identified last year, has been found.
According to reports the patient who has contracted the virus is a U.K. resident who had recently been traveling to the Middle East and Pakistan.
The patient has been taken to the intensive care unit of a Manchester hospital, according to a statement released by Britain's Health Protection Agency.
Coronaviruses have been described by professionals as part of a family of viruses that are behind various ailments including the common cold as well as SARS.
In the 2003 SARS epidemic about 800 people died across the globe.
Commonly, patients who contract the new coronavirus, suffer symptoms including acute breathing problems and kidney failure.
Initial evidence analyzed by scientists has shown that there is no proof that the virus at present spreads between humans.
However, it has been suspected that humans can catch the virus from animal carriers, such as camels as well as bats.
All previous identified cases of the virus have been linked to the Middle East. However, in 2012 the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that the virus was likely to be more widespread than previously thought.
WHO recommended at that time that countries should run tests on anyone with unexplained pneumonia for the coronavirus.
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