SARS epidemic spreads in Taiwan, three other CDC officials have become ill.

China Post ^ | 03-25-03

[Mother Abigail]

SARS epidemic spreads in Taiwan, 5 more cases reported

2003/3/25

TAIEPI, Taiwan, The China Post staff

An epidemic of suspected severe acute respiratory syndrom (SARS) cases that included the deputy director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), three other health officials and a National Taiwan University Hospital nurse was reported yesterday. CDC deputy director Hsu Kuo-hsiung was reported to have come down sick after working closely on the SARS investigation.

Hsu said it was just a regular cold, though, and that he had already returned to full health.

A nurse at the National Taiwan University hospital who was part of the team that took care of the country's first reported case of SARS is also reported to have starting running a fever.

Unconfirmed reports said that she had been given sick leave after taking care of a Taiwanese businessman surnamed Chin after he turned up ill after coming back from mainland China.

Hospital officials refused to comment on the report.

At the same time, three other CDC officials have become ill.

All three are thought to have worked in the same office with the son of the Taiwanese businessman who seems to have picked up SARS while working in China. The three officials were all told to go home and rest.

The son is considered to be one of Taiwan's six "confirmed" SARS cases, together with his parents and three other people who had recently returned from the other side of the Taiwan Strait.

Those six cases can not be confirmed as being SARS, however, because materials for making such a determination have not yet arrived in Taiwan, according to CDC director Chen Tsai-chin. Chen said that at present all that can be said is that the symptoms being seen are extremely similar to those typical of SARS.

[Mother Abigail]

Let's be careful out there

[EternalHope]

Sent home to rest?

Either they do not really think this is SARS, or they are incompetent.

[conservaDave]

Let's keep our fingers out of our mouths and wash our hands often.

[Judith Anne]

Sent home to avoid infecting others, is what I think. They may know it's SARS and have sent the person home to die...That's what I think will happen to most people who come down with this, they'll stay home...

[CathyRyan]

Did you see where they think this might be Corona virus?

[Judith Anne]

Yes I did, but the results couldn't be replicated...so for the time being, I'm still with the paramyxovirus family.

[Mother Abigail]

Ireland is probing two cases

DUBLIN:

Two new suspected cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) are being investigated in Ireland, a spokesman for the National Disease Surveillance Centre said yesterday.

A middle-aged man who recently returned from Hong Kong was being treated in Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar, County Mayo, in the west of Ireland, where he was listed as a "probable" case and recovering, the spokesman said.

A second middle-aged man who recently returned from Southeast Asia was at Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise, County Laois, but was expected to be cleared shortly, the spokesman said.

[Mother Abigail]

SARS found in passenger
Medical personnel meet Hong Kong flight at Auckland International Airport after SARS case suspected

25 March 2003

Ambulance officers have met a flight from Hong Kong carrying a passenger with symptoms similar to those of the deadly pneumonia disease, SARS.

Ambulance control says the passenger, believed to be a child, is currently being assessed.
The flight arrived at Auckland International Airport just before lunchtime.

[Judith Anne]

The three CDC officials who became ill...are they US CDC? I wasn't sure, from the article...

[Mother Abigail]

No, Taiwanese

[riri]

Have any of the American's died as of yet? Has anybody at all recovered?

[Mother Abigail]

Yes some have recovered, about the same number that has died.

No US cases confirmed, no deaths in US

[Mother Abigail]

Country: Cumulative No. of case(s)/ No. of deaths/ Local transmission*

Canada: 11/ 3/ Yes

China: + France: 1/ 0/ None

Germany: 4/ 0/ None

Hong Kong SAR China: 260/ 10**/ Yes

Italy: 2/ 0/ None

Republic of Ireland: 1/ 0/ None

Singapore: 65/ 0/ Yes

Spain: 1/ 0/ None

Switzerland: 2/ 0/ To be determined

Taiwan, China: 6/ 0/ Yes

Thailand: 5/ 0/ None

United Kingdom: 3/ 0/ None

United States: 37 §/ 0/ To be determined

Viet Nam: 58/ 4/ Yes

Total: 456/ 17

[Mother Abigail]

Drawing on partners in the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, WHO and its partner institutes and collaborating centres have placed field teams in Hanoi, Viet Nam, Hong Kong SAR, and Taiwan, China to assist health authorities. Last week, WHO flew 300 kilos of protective equipment and medical supplies to Hanoi.

Health authorities and hospital staff the world over are now alert to the symptoms of SARS. Suspect cases are being quickly detected and promptly reported. Proper isolation and management of cases has greatly reduced the risk of transmission of newly detected cases to others.

As of data available today, the vast majority of cases continue to occur in health care workers managing patients in hospital environments, and in the families and other close contacts of patients. [see [1] above].
Update on cases and countries affected

Reports from health authorities in 13 countries, compiled today, indicate a cumulative total of 456 cases of SARS and 17 deaths. This compares with reports a week ago (17 Mar 2003) of 150 cases in 7 countries. [see [1] above]

For most of the affected countries, cases reported today are for probable cases. Previous reports included both probable and suspected cases. As case definitions of SARS differ in some countries, the United States of America is today reporting 37 suspect cases under investigation.

Hong Kong SAR China remains the most severely affected area, reporting 260 cases and 10 deaths. Other severely affected areas included Singapore, with 65 cases and no deaths, and Vietnam, with 58 cases and 4 deaths. Canada has reported 11 cases and 3 deaths.

Chest X-rays showing distinctive features of SARS are presently the main tool for distinguishing suspected from probable cases. A "hand-made" diagnostic test, developed by Hong Kong scientists, began producing reliable results on Saturday and will be made available to key laboratories in a matter of days. A more sophisticated test is expected to be available for widespread use in diagnosing SARS cases within weeks.

[Mother Abigail]

Work towards the definitive identification of the causative agent, now strongly expected to be a virus of the Paramyxovirus or Coronavirus families, is continuing at breakneck speed.

Researchers in a network of 11 leading laboratories, set up on Monday 17 Mar 2003, exchange data on a restricted web site and compare virological and clinical information during daily teleconferences.

A second network of clinicians was set up on 20 Mar 2003 to expedite work on diagnosis and treatment.

WHO team of experts in China
A WHO international team of experts in epidemiology, microbiology, virology, and respiratory diseases arrived in Beijing, China on Sunday 23 Mar 2003. The multinational team was assembled in response to a request from the Chinese Ministry of Health to investigate possible links between the current SARS outbreak, which began in Asia in mid-February 2003, and an outbreak of atypical pneumonia which began in Guangdong Province in China in mid-November 2002.

The WHO team, which includes experts from 5 countries, will review available epidemiological and laboratory data on cases in the southern China outbreak. It will also propose what additional investigations should be carried out, and which additional reagents, antibodies, tests, equipment and expertise might be required to continue the laboratory and virological work.

This additional expertise and equipment is expected to bolster efforts to trace the source of atypical pneumonia in Guangdong Province.

[Mother Abigail]

Concern over international spread
The first concern WHO has regarding travel is the possibility that the disease will spread rapidly and become established in many countries around the world. The extent to which this is happening is being monitored by heightened surveillance for SARS symptoms around the world and rapid reporting of suspected cases.

The worldwide awareness of the disease has been demonstrated by the number of countries reporting to WHO. Recommended isolation procedures appear to be working.

Since these measures were introduced, no onward transmission of the disease, beyond those initially identified, has been reported.

In these circumstances, where the rapid identification and isolation of cases appears to be containing international spread, WHO does not consider that any additional restrictions on travel or trade are required.

Concerns over travel to affected areas

As countries around the world have increased surveillance activities they have discovered a small number of cases in persons who have traveled to the affected areas. The small number of such cases, at present, is an indication that SARS poses little risk to travelers visiting the affected areas.

Based on available information, WHO does not consider that the small health risk attributable to SARS significantly increases the health risk associated with travel to any destination. WHO therefore maintains its advice that no SARS-related restrictions on travel to any destination are necessary.

WHO is aware that a number of countries have advised their nationals to consider postponing unnecessary or elective travel to the areas where local transmission of the disease has been demonstrated. Such advice does not amount to a restriction of travel, and is the responsibility of the concerned national authorities.
Concern about air travel
The public is also concerned about the safety of air travel. Cases that have been identified in countries outside the initially affected areas have arrived by air transport.

It is important to note that there is no evidence to date to indicate that the disease is transmitted during air travel, or that travelling in an aeroplane with an infected person has resulted in illness to other passengers or crew. In case of concern that passengers have been exposed to an infected person during a flight, a protocol exists for the follow up of passengers and crew. When an airline wishes to disinfect an aeroplane after carrying a suspected SARS case there is good reason to believe that the procedures described in the WHO Guide to Hygiene and Sanitation in Aviation will be fully effective.

[Mother Abigail]

Of interest is the mention that the etiologic agent could be a member of either the paramyxovirus family or the coronavirus family, 2 very distinct viral families. We await further clarification and testing of the hypotheses as to the etiology of SARS.

As mentioned in this update, transmission to date still seems to be restricted to close contact of cases and not to general spread within the community. It is noteworthy that with the implementation of appropriate infection control procedures, transmission in the health care setting has been apparently interrupted.

[bogeybob]

A 55 year old in my town was supposed to have contracted the disease from his wife just in from China. He fully recovered.

[blam]

Bump. Thanks.