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(Little
Rock) –
The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has identified
its first “Probable Case” of Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The patient, a visitor to
Arkansas, is hospitalized under strict isolation and is
in good condition.
SARS
is a respiratory illness that has recently been reported
in Asia, North America and Europe. Scientists at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
other laboratories have detected a previously
unrecognized coronavirus in patients with SARS. The new
coronavirus is the viral agent most likely responsible
for this infection.
“The
department was notified by the hospital shortly after
the patient was admitted,” Dr. Joe Bates, deputy
medical director for the ADH, said. “It appears that
all of the appropriate measures were taken to isolate
the patient and protect caregivers. We have a team of
epidemiologists on site interviewing the patient and
others related to the case. We are awaiting lab results
to confirm the status of the patient and are in
communication with the CDC.”
As
of May 23, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports
8,117 SARS cases in 31 countries, including the United
States. The CDC reports suspect and probable SARS cases
in over 35 states.
“With
nearly every state reporting activity, it was only a
matter of time before SARS reached Arkansas,” Dr.
Bates said. “I understand that this news is disturbing
for Arkansans, but our public health teams have spent
considerable time tracking SARS activity worldwide. We
continue to update physicians throughout the state on
new findings about the disease.”
According
to the CDC, there are two case definitions for SARS, a
“Suspect Case” or a “Probable Case.” A suspect
case is a person with a temperature of 100.4 degrees
or higher who
has one or more respiratory symptoms (including cough,
shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing) and one or
more of the following: close contact (within 10 days of
onset of symptoms) with a person who has been diagnosed
with SARS; history of travel (within 10 days of onset of
symptoms) to an area in which there is reported
transmission of SARS.
A
probable case is 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.
Individuals
who have not traveled to those areas reporting SARS
cases within 10 days or who have not had close contact
with a case should not be suspected of having
SARS. People who fit one of the two criteria should be
suspected of having SARS and should seek medical
attention immediately.
“Arkansans
can assist us by becoming familiar with the symptoms and
criteria for SARS,” Dr. Bates said.
The
general public can get more information through the CDC
hotline at: English
(888) 246-2675, Español (888) 246-2857, and TTY (866)
874-2646. The hotlines operate Monday through Friday
from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9
a.m. to 7 p.m.
For
updated numbers on suspect SARS cases in the U.S., visit
the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/sars.htm.
Additional information on SARS is available at www.cdc.gov
and www.who.int
and is being updated frequently as new information
becomes available.
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