As of 03/25/2013
For the second case imported to Germany:
In Munich since 19 March 2013, a patient hospitalized in the 23 March, an infection with the novel coronavirus was detected. The man had been in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, moved to Germany. The patient is being treated in intensive care. The contact investigation is conducted by the health department in Munich, and informs all contacts. This is the second case of disease imported to Germany. The first patient was on 24 October 2012 moved to Germany for treatment and has since been restored to health (see further information of the City of Munich for the 2 imported into Germany case).
Information on all confirmed cases are summarized in a table.
On the background of a possible human-to-human transmission:
A first cluster was reported in a cluster in a family in Saudi Arabia in 2012. In this family, two males were infected, in which a very narrow, unprotected contact with the care of the patient was considered as a transmission as possible.
In February 2013 last three disease cases had been confirmed with the novel coronavirus from the UK. This affected a patient who had visited before his illness in Saudi Arabia, and two family members of the index patient. One of the family members died, the other was diagnosed with milder respiratory symptoms and recovered quickly.
Risk assessment:
There is still no evidence of continuous human-to-human transmission. In Germany, there have been only two imported cases of disease. There is no increased risk of disease in the general population.
In the care of probable cases in the hospital shall continue, mainly because of the severe course of the previously known diseases, strict hygiene measures carried out according to the recommendations for diseases caused by the SARS virus. For patients receiving further clarification also specifically avoid contact with sick persons with history of travel with respect to the Arabian Peninsula, are in demand.
The Robert Koch Institute has possibly further differential diagnostic laboratory tests (see case definition of the RKI of 12 December 2012). The specific diagnosis of novel coronavirus has been established at the Robert Koch Institute and the Institute of Virology at the University of Bonn (see also notes the RKI for laboratory diagnostics).
As of 03/25/2013
