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Geneva--WHO
has today stepped up several activities aimed at strengthening the
international response to the recent emergence of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS is an infectious disease of
unknown etiology characterized by atypical pneumonia.
The disease is spread
from person to person but only through close contact with a case. To
date, almost all reported cases have occurred in health workers
involved in the direct care of reported cases or in close contacts,
such as family members. There is no evidence to date that the
disease spreads though casual contact.
The WHO Global Outbreak
Alert and Response Network is coordinating an international
multicenter effort to identify the causative agent. The project
unites 11 laboratories in 10 countries. Participating laboratories
have the most experience to date in diagnosis of cases, or are known
for their high-level facilities and expertise. The collaborative
effort will also improve diagnostic precision and move work forward
on the development of a diagnostic test. WHO is also working with
health authorities to identify an effective treatment for SARS.
WHO Global Outbreak
Alert and Response teams in Hanoi and Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, China, where the most new cases are presently
concentrated, are assisting health authorities in outbreak
management and in the collection of epidemiological and clinical
data that can improve understanding of SARS.
Through its regional
office in Manila, Philippines, WHO is establishing logistics bases
and supply chains to ensure rapid provision of protective equipment
and medicines needed for outbreak response.
Chinese authorities have
now issued a summary report on an outbreak of what may be the same
or a related disease that began in Guangdong province in southern
China in November and peaked in mid-February. The Chinese report,
which includes data on the diagnosis and management of more than 300
cases, is presently undergoing analysis and is expected to further
contribute to understanding about the syndrome and possible links
among the various outbreaks. The Chinese report, which covers the
largest number of cases to date, may also boost international
efforts to establish effective treatment guidelines, should a
relationship between the outbreaks be established.
The Ministry of Health
of China has requested support from an international team. A WHO
team is now being assembled.
Health authorities
around the world are now alert to the risk of SARS. Tracking of the
course of the epidemic shows that surveillance systems are
sensitive, communication channels are open, and reporting is rapid.
Information on cases compiled over the past three weeks is expected
to shed new light on the behaviour of this disease.
The speed of
international travel creates a risk of rapid spread to additional
areas. Because the clinical course and epidemiological behaviour of
this disease are poorly understood, WHO is calling upon national
health authorities to maintain close vigilance for suspected cases.
There is no current justification for any restriction in travel or
trade.
For
more information contact:
Dick Thompson - Communication Officer
Communicable Disease Prevention, Control and Eradication
WHO, Geneva
Telephone: (+41 22) 791 26 84
Email:
or
visit: www.who.int
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