The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health - The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: David S. Hui, Chinese University of Hong Kong; Esam I. Azhar, King Abdulaziz University; Tariq A. Madani, King Abdulaziz University; Francine Ntoumi, Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Richard Kock, University of London; Osman Dar, Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security, Royal Institute of International Affairs, London, UK; Giuseppe Ippolito, Lazzaro Spallanzani Natl Inst Infect Dis IRCCS; Timothy D. Mchugh, University College London; Ziad Memish, Emory University; Christian Drosten, Charite Medical University of Berlin; Alimuddin Zumla, University College London; Eskild Petersen, Ministry of Health Oman
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-02-01
• Publisher: Elsevier Science Ltd.
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.01.009
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Infectious Diseases
• Volume: 91
• Start Page: 264
• End Page: 266
• Grant/Funding Information: None declared
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Global health; Epidemic; Infectious Diseases; COVID-19; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Wuhan; Novel coronavirus
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Immunology; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Sociology, Public and Social Welfare

Abstract

The city of Wuhan in China is the focus of global attention due to an outbreak of a febrile respiratory illness due to a coronavirus 2019-nCoV. In December 2019, there was an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, Hubei province in China, with an epidemiological link to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market where there was also sale of live animals. Notification of the WHO on 31 Dec 2019 by the Chinese Health Authorities has prompted health authorities in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to step up border surveillance, and generated concern and fears that it could mark the emergence of a novel and serious threat to public health (WHO, 2020a, Parr, 2020).