CDC issues guidance for U.S. providers on pneumonia outbreak in China

Health care providers should notify their state and local health departments and infection control personnel immediately if patients with unexplained severe respiratory illness developed symptoms within two weeks of returning from Wuhan City, China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised yesterday. Chinese authorities have reported to the World Health Organization 59 patients with pneumonia of unknown cause, seven of whom were critically ill, possibly linked to a fish and animal market there. The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission has not reported human-to-human transmission. Health authorities continue to investigate, and are monitoring more than 150 contacts of the patients for illness. CDC has established an incident management structure to coordinate additional public health actions if required. For more information, see the CDC advisory.