Doctors Urge Calm As New Cases Of Mystery Virus Reported

April 26, 2002

April 24, 2002

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Doctors urged calm on Wednesday as seven new cases of

infection from an unidentified virus suspected of causing potentially deadly

heart inflammation were reported nationwide.

Three people, all adults, have died from the infection.

The new cases bring the number of people believed afflicted to 39 since

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

All have been reported as suffering from inflammation of the heart, known as

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

problems.

" The intense monitoring of cases around the country continues, " said Giorgos

Saroglou, head of the health ministry's Special Infections Control Center.

" If the number of newly reported cases remains at the same levels over the

next days, we can discuss a decline. "

Experts meeting at the infections center were still waiting for test results

to identify the virus. It was unclear when the results were expected.

One suspect is the common sackie viru, that ordinarily causes fever and

other flu-like symptoms. In 1997, myocarditis caused by a strain of the

sackie virus killed 30 children in Malaysia over the course of three

months.

Doctors urged the public to remain calm since complications from myocarditis

are rare, affecting only one in 1,000 people with the infection.

All day-care centers, schools and universities remained closed to prevent

possible spread of the virus. The government, which decided Tuesday to close

them for the remainder of the week, added conservatories, drama and dance

schools to the list.

Of the cases reported before Wednesday, seven people have been released from

the hospital, 14 have improved, and eight are in stable conditions and are

being monitored, Saroglou said.

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