As of April 26, the Chinese Ministry of Health had reported a recent eight possible cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with six in Bejing and two in Anhui Province in east-central China. Nearly 1,000 contacts of these patients were under medical observation, and some had been placed in medical isolation after they developed fever.
To date, all diagnosed cases and cases under investigation have been linked to chains of transmission involving close personal contact with an identified case. There is no evidence of wider transmission in the community.
At press time, health authorities in China were conducting extensive laboratory testing, contact tracing and enhanced surveillance. They also had initiated screening at ports of entry to prevent the spread of SARS among travelers.
Currently, neither the World Health Organization nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising against travel to China. Previous research has shown that SARS can be controlled and contained through early detection, isolation of suspect cases and tracing of their contacts.
Travelers returning from areas where SARS cases have been reported are reminded to monitor their health for 10 days. If a fever or respiratory symptoms develop, a health-care provider should be visited and — before the office visit — should be informed about the recent travel history and symptoms so arrangements can be made to prevent possible transmission to others in the health-care setting.
For more info, visit www.who.int/csr/don/2004_04_26/en.