DHSS Press Release

NO SUSPECTED CASES OF SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME IN DELAWARE

Delaware's Division of Public Health (DPH) reports no suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 62 suspected cases of the atypical pneumonia in the United States, with investigations in 22 states. WHO reports more than 456 cases and 17 deaths from SARS in Canada, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. No cases have been confirmed in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) alerted local and state health departments in the United States to enhance their surveillance for SARS. In response to the CDC advisory, and as a precautionary measure, DPH is working with Delaware hospitals and physicians to monitor the occurrence of illness consistent with SARS. DPH will investigate any suspected cases. To date, no one in Delaware has been diagnosed with SARS and no one has exhibited such symptoms.

CDC is working closely with WHO to investigate cases of SARS. On March 29, CDC extended its SARS travel advisory to include all of mainland China as well as Hanoi, Vietnam and Singapore. CDC advises that people planning elective or non-essential travel to mainland China and Hong Kong, Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam may wish to postpone their trips until further notice. CDC officials are meeting planes, cargo ships and cruise ships coming either directly or indirectly to the United States from China, Singapore and Vietnam and distributing health alert cards to disembarking passengers. CDC is not advising against travel to or from Canada because there is not evidence of widespread community transmission.

People who have recently traveled to the affected areas should be aware of SARS' main symptoms, which include an unexplained high fever (>100.4 degrees F) and one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, low levels of oxygen in the blood, or X-ray findings of pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. CDC and WHO report that SARS appears to spread by close personal contact - to those who have cared for, lived with, or had direct contact with respiratory secretions or body fluids of an infected person. In the unlikely event a traveler experiences this combination of symptoms, he or she should seek medical attention and inform health professionals about recent travel.

More information is available on WHO's and CDC's websites at www.who.int/en/ and www.cdc.gov. Health alert cards can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/travel_alert.htm.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.