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GENEVA
-- During the past week, WHO has received reports of
more than 150 new suspected cases of Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS), an atypical pneumonia for which cause has not
yet been determined. Reports to date have been received from
Canada, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of
China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet
Nam. Early today, an ill passenger and companions who
travelled from New York, United States, and who landed in
Frankfurt, Germany were removed from their flight and taken to
hospital isolation.
Due to the spread
of SARS to several countries in a short period of time, the
World Health Organization today has issued emergency guidance
for travellers and airlines.
“This syndrome,
SARS, is now a worldwide health threat,” said Dr. Gro Harlem
Brundtland, Director General of the World Health Organization.
“The world needs to work together to find its cause, cure
the sick, and stop its spread.”
There is presently
no recommendation for people to restrict travel to any
destination. However in response to enquiries from
governments, airlines, physicians and travellers, WHO is now
offering guidance for travellers, airline crew and airlines.
The exact nature of the infection is still under investigation
and this guidance is based on the early information available
to WHO.
TRAVELLERS
INCLUDING AIRLINE CREW: All travellers should be aware of
main symptoms and signs of SARS which include:
high
fever (>38oC)
AND
one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of
breath, difficulty breathing
AND one or more of
the following:
close contact* with a person who has been diagnosed with SARS
recent history of travel to areas reporting cases of SARS.
In the unlikely
event of a traveller experiencing this combination of symptoms
they should seek medical attention and ensure that information
about their recent travel is passed on to the health care
staff. Any traveller who develops these symptoms is advised
not to undertake further travel until they have recovered.
AIRLINES:
Should a passenger or crew member who meets the criteria above
travel on a flight, the aircraft should alert the destination
airport. On arrival the sick passenger should be referred to
airport health authorities for assessment and management. The
aircraft passengers and crew should be informed of the
person’s status as a suspect case of SARS. The passengers
and crew should provide all contact details for the subsequent
14 days to the airport health authorities. There are currently
no indications to restrict the onward travel of healthy
passengers, but all passengers and crew should be advised to
seek medical attention if they develop the symptoms
highlighted above. There is currently no indication to provide
passengers and crew with any medication or investigation
unless they become ill.
In the absence of
specific information regarding the nature of the organism
causing this illness, specific measures to be applied to the
aircraft cannot be recommended. As a general precaution the
aircraft may be disinfected in the manner described in the WHO
Guide to Hygiene and Sanitation in Aviation.
* * *
As more
information has become available, WHO-recommended SARS case
definitions have been revised as follows:
Suspect Case
A person
presenting after 1 February 2003 with history of :
high fever (>38oC)
AND
one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of
breath, difficulty breathing
AND one or more of
the following:
close contact* with a person who has been diagnosed with SARS
recent history of travel to areas reporting cases of SARS
Probable Case
A suspect case
with chest x-ray findings of pneumonia or Respiratory Distress
Syndrome
OR
A person with an
unexplained respiratory illness resulting in death, with an
autopsy examination demonstrating the pathology of Respiratory
Distress Syndrome without an identifiable cause.
Comments
In addition to
fever and respiratory symptoms, SARS may be associated with
other symptoms including: headache, muscular stiffness, loss
of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash, and diarrhea.
* * *
Until more is
known about the cause of these outbreaks, WHO recommends that
patients with SARS be isolated with barrier nursing techniques
and treated as clinically indicated. At the same time, WHO
recommends that any suspect cases be reported to national
health authorities.
WHO is in close
communication with all national authorities and has also
offered epidemiological, laboratory and clinical support. WHO
is working with national authorities to ensure appropriate
investigation, reporting and containment of these outbreaks.
*Close contact
means having cared for, having lived with, or having had
direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of
a person with SARS.
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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