Outbreak of Flu-Like Disease Not Likely to Hit Mother Lode

Tuolumne County Health officials say the chance is very small that a recent outbreak of an atypical type of pneumonia would reach the Mother Lode.

Tuolumne County Health Officer Todd Stolp says there´s a slight chance the disease could pop up here, but it´s highly unlikely. He says a local resident would have to have made a recent trip to China to bring the disease here.

An alert was issued by the World Health Organization because of how quickly the disease spread among people who were exposed.

It´s killed nine people, including seven in Asia. Two people died in Canada after visiting Hong Kong. Two other people have been hospitalized in Paris with breathing problems after returning from trips to Asia. Doctors are doing tests to see if the cases are linked to the outbreak.

Officials say the illness appears to be treatable.