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SARS Update (as of 05/03/04)
On April 30,
officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of China
provided an update on SARS infections in that country
The outbreak, centered in Beijing and Anhui includes 5 persons confirmed
as having SARS, and another 4 who have symptoms of SARS and have a history of
close contact with a known case. The
cases in Beijing are all receiving treatment in the same hospital in order to
reduce the risk of transmission. The
WHO states that "investigation of the source of the outbreak is presently
focused on lapses in biosafety
procedures at the National Institute of Virology. The institute was closed on
23 April and its staff were placed in quarantine."
The outbreak
has extended to three generations, beginning with a 26 year old postgraduate
student who worked at the National Institute of Virology in Beijing. Another
researcher employed in the institute has been undergoing SARS treatment, but
has not been linked to additional cases.
Two second
generation cases have been linked to the graduate student:
her 53 year old mother and a 20 year old nurse who provided her (the
student). Five additional cases have been linked to the nurse.
No cases in
this outbreak have been identified outside of China.
More than 1000 people associated with the outbreaks have been
quarantined.
The Florida Department of
Health continues to monitor worldwide SARS activity and will provide updates as
appropriate. The DOH also
evaluates all requests for tests for SARS by developing a complete risk profile
of each patient for whom testing is requested.
The history includes travel itineraries, possible SARS exposures and
assessment of close contacts. Possible exposures include contact with ill
person who work in hospitals and laboratories.
Requests for specific SARS information should be made to the Bureau of
Epidemiology at (850) 245-4401. |
