Mysterious virus causes alarm in Greece

April 24, 2002

By THEODORA TONGAS, Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (April 23, 2002 7:40 p.m. EDT) - Greece's health ministry on

Tuesday ordered all schools and universities closed through the end of the

week, after 13 more people appeared to be suffering from an unidentified

virus that has claimed three lives.

As concern grew, lines of people fearing they might be infected got longer

at hospitals and medical clinics as concern. Experts at the ministry's

Special Infections Control Center met to discuss how to deal with infections

as they awaited the results of tests to identify the virus. They were

expected by Wednesday.

The new cases announced Tuesday brought to 32 the number of people believed

afflicted since officials began keeping count on April 18. Most have been in

Athens, home to nearly half Greece's 11 million people.

All 13 people were reported suffering from inflammation of the heart, known

as myocarditis. Other symptoms include high fever, muscle pain and

respiratory problems.

One suspect is the common sackie virus. In 1997, myocarditis caused by a

strain of the sackie virus was responsible for killing 30 children in

Malaysia over the course of three months.

While asking the public not to panic, Health Minister Alekos Papadopoulos

encouraged people to avoid crowds in closed spaces and practice good

personal hygiene.

Papadopoulos said all educational facilities from preschools through

universities would close beginning Wednesday " for purely preventative

reasons. "

The city of Athens also shut down its day-care centers, though all three of

those who have died have been adults.

" Despite the fact that cases among children are few in relation to adults

and the danger is reduced, the measure is taken to restrict its possible

spread, " the minister said.

Schools were preparing to close for the weeklong Orthodox Holy Week in

advance of Easter on May 5.

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