France confirms 2d case of SARS-related virus

PARIS - France has confirmed a second case of a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS, authorities said Sunday, as they increased efforts to inform the public about how to avoid the illness and watch for its signs.

A hospital roommate of the 65-year-old man who initially contracted the virus tested positive for the illness. The second patient's condition has deteriorated, requiring treatment in intensive care, Health Minister Marisol Touraine said at a news conference. The minister added that the first patient is "in a stable but worrisome situation."

Touraine said pamphlets listing precautionary measures and potential signs of illness will be available at French airports for travelers, especially those visiting the Arabian Peninsula, where many cases of the virus have been reported.

The novel coronavirus has killed 18 people since being identified last year, out of more than 30 confirmed cases reported to the World Health Organization since September 2012. The first France patient had just returned from vacationing in Dubai when he fell ill.

The initial France patient shared a room with the second patient for a few days in late April at a hospital in Valenciennes. Now both are being treated at the Lille Hospital in northern France. Four other suspected cases, all people who had contact with the initial patient, were false alarms, officials said.

Most of those infected since the virus was identified had traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or Pakistan. There also were cases in Britain and Germany.

The novel coronavirus is related to SARS, which killed about 800 people in a global epidemic in 2003, and belongs to a family of viruses that most often causes the common cold.

The virus is most closely related to a bat virus and scientists are considering whether bats or animals such as camels or goats are a source of infection. Scientists are also considering whether fruit contaminated by animal droppings may have spread the virus.