[KellyAdmirer]

That is how the Black Plague in 1300s Europe started, a ship from Asia carrying infected passengers. Wiped out a quarter of the population.

[tallhappy]

This began in China a few months ago and the Chinese government would not allow any free infomration about actual cases and numbers of infection to be known.

It was believed to be much more widespread in China than the government reported with many more deaths than reported.

But the government there does not allow free information.

[First Amendment]

Fearful the virus may be spreading,

Does this mean they know it's a virus? I've read everything I see on about this illness, I thought they couldn't figure out what caused it. So does this mean they have isolated the cause of infection?

[I_saw_the_light]

Heres the really scary part
"WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said the passenger taken from the plane in Frankfurt was a Singapore doctor who had visited NEW YORK after treating some of the first suspected SARS patients in Singapore." source-
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=570&ncid=753&e=1&u=/nm/20030315/sc_nm/health_pneumonia_who_dc
-

[CaptSkip]

Traveler's bump.

[fella]

Scince this doctor was leaving New York where was he in our country? This could be important. Could this be Bio warfare?

[July 4th]

Robert Bazell on MSNBC saying that this thing spreads fast and hard. Woman who died in Canada was very sick when her plane landed, but was just fine at takeoff from Asia. Hospital workers are getting it within only a couple of days exposure to the infected patient.

No one who has gotten the disease has gotten better yet.

[Neuromancer]

We are changing the name of this threat to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Worldwide to reflect the appearance of cases now outside of East Asia, and in keeping with the name of they syndrome as defined by WHO -- "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome" (SARS). In addition, given the severity of this situation, we have chosen to post this alert to ALL ProMED-mail subscribers, irrespective of specialty list preferences to assist in a further, widespread dissemination of this alert information. - Mod.MPP] Date: 15 Mar 2003 From: ProMED-mail Source: WHO Press release
World Health Organization issues emergency travel advisory Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Spreads Worldwide

---

15 March 2003 | 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 (greater than 38 C)
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 Feb 2003 with history of : ? high fever (greater than 38 C)
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
TOPICS

[FairOpinion]

"was taken off an airplane from New York"
---

Did you notice: "FROM New York", in other words, he either caught it in NY, or spread it to others.

[friendly]

This is very, very scary stuff. The US emergency room health care system is in free fall collapse due to the lawyer crisis and declining revenues. This disease is medical workers worst nightmare come true. They will be completely unable to cope.

South China is a hotbed of viral mutation due to theintensive hog farming industry (the viruses rapidly pass back and forth between humans and pigs, constantly mutating). It is compleetly irresponsible of the Chinese to not release the facts of this horrigic epidemic.

[bonesmccoy]

These reports of infectious disease necessitating a "global" health emergency are more political than the President's attempt to immunize health care workers against small pox.

The fact of the matter is that this disease has NOT spread to the US yet. CDC is sending investigators to other locations in order to gather data.

My suggestion is that these foreign medical centers need to run tests for Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

RSV peaks every year in the winter. We have seen an unusually wide peak in cases this year (meaning more cases for a slightly longer period of time than last year).

The disease pops up around November and lasts until March.

It creates a dry, hacking cough a few days after exposure. The virus is VERY contagious and can spread by contact or respiratory droplets.

Until a real medical lab can run real samples from the real patients, these reports are sensationalistic nonsense.

Do not fret about these types of viruses or pathogens.

US investigators, when appropriately focused, can figure out the germ in a remarkably short order.

[Timesink]

Update: Experts Suspect Virus Is Cause of Asian Mystery Illness