The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) of cases of a respiratory illness, also called severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The number of cases of SARS is subject to change as surveillance increases and cases are identified and confirmed. The current case count for the U.S. can be found at this website: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/sars.htm. The case count for cases outside the U.S. can be found at http://www.who.int/csr/sars/en/. Cases in travelers have been epidemiologically linked to travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, China; and Hanoi, Vietnam. Because SARS has appeared to spread rapidly, the Director General of WHO, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, issued emergency guidance for travelers and airlines so that symptomatic people receive immediate health care, are brought to the attention of public health authorities, and are advised against travel while ill. CDC has also issued a travel advisory, and health alert notices, available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/travel_alert.htm, are being distributed at ports of entry to people returning from the three affected regions.
Health authorities are on the alert for people who have specific symptoms of respiratory illness. The case definition for suspected SARS is subject to change, particularly with regard to travel history, as illness is reported in other geographic areas. The most current definition can be accessed at the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) case definition web page: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/casedefinition.htm.
When potential cases of SARS are identified on a conveyance, officials should:
- Notify the nearest U.S. Public Health Service Quarantine Station.
- Alert the destination port of any passengers meeting the above criteria.
- Refer all arriving passengers who are symptomatic to health authorities for assessment and care.
- Inform passengers and crew that there is/was a suspect case of SARS on board.
- The passengers and crew should provide all their contact information for the subsequent 14 days to the port health authorities.
U.S. Department of State has authorized the departure, on a voluntary basis, of family members at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Because of health concerns in Vietnam about SARS, the current capacity of health-care facilities to accept and manage SARS cases, and the lack of readily accessible medical evacuation services, the Department of State warns U.S. citizens, particularly those traveling with children, to defer nonemergency travel to Vietnam at this time. The full text of this announcement is available at http://travel.state.gov/vietnam_warning.html.
CDC continues to advise that people planning elective or nonessential travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, China, may wish to postpone their trips until further notice.
CDC has been working with WHO to investigate and confirm the outbreaks of this severe form of pneumonia. The outbreaks appear to primarily involve health-care workers and close family contacts to suspect cases. For information about infection control in health care and community settings, see these websites:
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/infectioncontrol.htm
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/isolat/isolat.htm
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/guide/infectcont98.htm
- http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/aerosolinfectioncontrol.htm
SARS updates will be posted as information becomes available.
Additional information on the outbreaks can be found at the following websites: