China is struggling to identify a mystery viral fever which has struck down 59 people.

Beijing health authorities declared an emergency after dozens people were struck with the “unexplained fever” .

Chinese medics have since confirmed the pneumonia was not bird flue, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), or Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

Authorities however are still working to identify the cause and source f the mystery illness.

In a statement posted on its website he Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said a total of 59 cases of unknown viral pneumonia had been reported as of Sunday.

Seven people are in a critical condition, and a further 163 people have been placed under medical observation.

• 

  Pole dancer crushed by falling tree while on holiday left unable to walk

• 

  World's first cloned cat celebrates 18th birthday baffling scientists

• 

  Vladimir Putin to create ‘Soviet Union 2.0 and stay in power forever’

Wuhan health officials issued an emergency alert at local hospitals amid the spread of the fever last week.

Communist Party officials dispatched a team of investigators to the city to get to the bottom of the virus.

State-run media assured the public the team were “conducting relevant inspection and verification work”.

In a statement, the hospital admitted they were dealing with “successive series of patients with unexplained pneumonia”.

• 

  Notorious crime boss Arkan’s pop star daughter mugged for purse in Paris

• 

  Kim Jong-un to revive North Korea war threat with ‘Juche Bird’ nuke missile in 2020

The emergency alert included instructions for hospitals to treat patients and report them in a “timely manner”.

It is believed a seafood market may be connected to the case – with investigators probing the site.

Lab tests have said the illness is a strain of viral pneumonia.

Investigators have also assured there is no “obvious” human-to-human transmission.

• 

  F-16 fighter jet shoots down drone during cruise missile defence test

• 

  North Korean 'ghost ship' washes ashore carrying five skeletons on coast of Japan

State-run newspaper People’s Daily said the “cause of the disease is not clear” – but despite suggestions it may SARS, this has since been ruled out.

China saw 349 die along with 299 in Hong Kong during an outbreak of SARS in 2003.

Read More

Today's Top Stories

The disease spread to other countries, infecting 8,000 people and causing global concern.

SARS was eventually brought under control by quarantine measures which created impacted China’s economy as they issued a nationwide shutdown.

• China

Source: Read Full Article