| 3.15.03
Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome
CDC Issues Health Alert About Atypical Pneumonia
Atlanta:
In response to reports of increasing numbers of cases of an atypical
pneumonia that the World Health Organization (WHO) has called Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) today announced several steps to alert US health authorities
at local and state levels.
CDC activated
its emergency operations center on Friday, March 14, upon learning of
several cases reported in Canada among travelers recently returned from
Southeast Asia and their family members. The federal public health agency:
* Issued
a health alert to hospitals and clinicians on Saturday, March 15.
* Briefed state health officials on Saturday, March 15.
* Is investigating illness among travelers who may have passed through
the United States after having potential exposure to the virus.
* Is preparing health alert cards to give to travelers returning from
Southeast Asia.
* Is preparing guidance to assist public health departments, health
care facilities and clinicians in monitoring and identifying potential
cases.
* Deployed eight CDC scientists to assist the WHO in the global investigation.
* Is analyzing specimens to identify a cause for the illness.
CDC has been working with the World Health Organization (WHO) since
late February to investigate and confirm outbreaks of this severe form
of pneumonia in Viet Nam, Hong Kong, and parts of China. No cases have
been identified to date in the United States.
"The
emergence of two clusters of this illness on the North American continent
indicates the potential for travelers who have been in the affected
areas of Southeast Asia to have been exposed to this serious syndrome,"
said Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, CDC Director. "The World Health Organization
has been leading a global effort, in which CDC is participating, to
understand the cause of this illness and how to prevent its spread.
We do know that it may progress rapidly and can be fatal. Therefore,
we are instituting measures aimed at identifying potential cases among
travelers returning to the United States and protecting the people with
whom they may come into contact."
The WHO
issued a global alert about the outbreak on March 12, cautioning that
the severe respiratory illness may spread to hospital staff. No link
has been made between this illness and any known influenza, including
the "bird flu" (A[H5N1]) outbreak reported in Hong Kong on
February 19.
###
CDC
protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases
and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information
on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong
partnerships with local, national, and international organizations.
Additional
Information:
CDC
Travel Advisory
Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome Information on the CDC Web site
3.30.03
| From the Toronto Star
3.15.03
| CDC Telebriefing Transcript:
CDC's Response to Atypical Pneumonia in Southeast Asia and Canada
|
