The spread of SARS

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), an atypical pneumonia of unknown etiology has been reported at several places since February 2003.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) clinical and epidemiological update on SARS was first recognised at the end of February 2003 in Hanoi, Vietnam when a middle-aged businessman who has travelled extensively in South-East Asia developed high fever and was hospitalised in Hanoi on February 26. He also had dry cough, myalgia and mild sore throat. 0

Over the following 4 days he developed symptoms of adult respiratory distress syndrome, requiring ventilator support, and severe thrombocytopenia. Despite intensive therapy he died on March 13 after being transferred to an isolation facility in Hong Kong SAR. On the basis of data from the SARS foci in Hanoi and Hong Kong SAR, the incubation period has been estimated to be two to seven days, but usually three to five days. Attack rates have more than 56 per cent among health care workers caring for patients with SARS is consistent in both the Hong Kong and Hanoi.

Local transmission of SARS has been confirmed in Canada, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China (Hong Kong SAR), Singapore, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam.