Brisbane man tested for SARS-like deadly coronavirus

The spread of a mystery virus in China has prompted Australian health officials to begin screening incoming passengers amid fears a recently arrived man in Brisbane may have the killer bug. The virus has killed at least six are and infected hundreds in China.

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Australian biosecurity staff will start screenings of passengers arriving from China after health authorities confirmed a deadly coronavirus may have already breached our borders.

Passengers arriving in Sydney tomorrow morning from the Chinese city of Wuhan will be screened for the SARS-like virus, which has killed at least six people and infected hundreds in China.

The extra security measures come as health officials confirmed a Brisbane man who had recently returned from Wuhan was being tested for the deadly new virus strain.

Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan Hospital on Monday in Wuhan, Hubei, China. Picture: Getty

Australia’s chief medical officer Professor Brendan Murphy said on Tuesday the risk to Australians was low, but border security officials will be stationed outside three regular flights from Wuhan to Sydney Airport to check the health of all passengers.

Passengers have their temperature taken on a plane. Picture: Twitter

“They will be providing to all the passengers an information pamphlet in English and Mandarin, outlining the symptoms the disease might deliver and asking them to identify themselves at the border,” he said.

“If anyone has a fever or suspect they might have this disease and if they are suspected of having this condition, NSW Health will follow up as per our normal border security and biosecurity protocols.

“And obviously we’ll be doing some specific communications in the Chinese media to target the Chinese-speaking population, who are clearly of significant interest to us.”

The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, scientists have warned, as countries ramp up measures to prevent the disease from spreading. Picture: AFP

Prof Murphy said temperature scanning at airports would not be used because it was found to be “ineffective” during the swine flu outbreak in 2009.

“The important thing to remember is with border screening you cannot absolutely prevent the spread of disease into the country,” he said.

“The incubation period is probably a week. Many people who have this may present as asymptomatic.”

Health officers screen arriving passengers with thermal scanners at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Tuesday. Picture: AFP

On Tuesday morning it was confirmed a man was in isolation in his Brisbane home as Queensland Health authorities ran tests on whether he was carrying the new strain.

Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young said it would take a few days to confirm if he was suffering from the virus.

The virus causes a type of pneumonia and belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS.

Symptoms include fever and difficulty in breathing, which are similar to many other respiratory diseases and pose complications for screening efforts.

SYMPTOMS

■ runny nose

■ headache

■ cough

■ sore throat

■ fever

■ general feeling of being unwell

CAUSE OF DEATH

■ Death results primarily from respiratory failure, with lungs the major site of infection.