Minnesota Department of Health

News Release

April 1, 2003

Contact information

Health officials tracking possible SARS cases in state

Minnesota public health officials emphasized today that they are working to identify and track any possible cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the state.

Efforts to track SARS – in Minnesota and worldwide – are being conducted jointly by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), local public health agencies, private health care providers, the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In Minnesota, three “suspect” cases of SARS have been identified and reported to CDC. All three had already recovered, or were recovering, by the time their cases were reported to MDH. MDH investigators say there is no concern about possible transmission of the illness from these individuals to other people.

In addition to the three suspect cases, state health officials have investigated about 10 other possible SARS cases, including that of an 11- month-old adoptee from China who arrived in Minnesota by air on Sunday.

The infant was hospitalized with a high fever and respiratory symptoms, but subsequent tests were positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is a very common cause of serious respiratory illness in infants. The positive lab results for RSV make it unlikely that the infant has SARS, according to MDH officials, but additional lab samples have been submitted to CDC for further testing. The infant is doing well, and is expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.

SARS first surfaced in China and Vietnam in late February. To date, about 1,600 people worldwide, including 62 in the U.S., have been reported as having SARS. Health officials say the illness is difficult to track and diagnose because the onset is relatively rapid (two- to ten-day incubation period), there is no definitive clinical test to confirm it and the symptoms are similar to other severe respiratory illness.

“We are carefully looking for anything that might be SARS,” said Dr. Harry Hull, state epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. “Because we don’t want to take any chances with the public health, we are erring on the side of being cautious and considering any case with the right signs and symptoms as a possible case.”

So far, suspected SARS has been defined by the CDC as any respiratory illness that meets the following conditions:

• Fever of 100.5 degrees F or higher
• Cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or abnormal chest x-ray
• Patient with recent history of travel to Hong Kong; People’s Republic of China; Hanoi, Viet Nam; or Singapore within 10 days before the symptoms first appeared
  OR
• Patient with a history of close contact with another person who may have had SARS. A “close contact” includes having care for, lived with, or had direct contact with a person with possible SARS.

People who have returned from any of the affected areas in Asia and have respiratory illness should seek medical attention. They should inform their health care provider about their recent travel or possible exposure to SARS. Physicians should report any suspected case of SARS to MDH.

“I’d like to emphasize that while SARS is a serious illness and can be fatal, we don’t think that it can be spread through casual contact, such as walking past someone on the street who may have it,” Dr. Hull said. “However, exactly how the disease is transmitted is being studied carefully by federal and world health authorities.”

So far, the majority of secondary SARS cases have been either household contacts or health care workers, Dr. Hull said.

“Respiratory illnesses are very common at this time of year,” Dr. Hull said. “Symptoms alone should not be a cause of heightened concern. The association of those symptoms with recent travel to affected countries is what alerts us to the possibility of SARS,” he said.

The CDC is recommending that Americans postpone non-essential trips to China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam until further notice. If you must travel to those areas, officials suggest avoiding people with respiratory symptoms, avoid visiting homes with sick people, avoid quarantined areas, and frequently wash your hands.

“Our goal is to make sure that any possible cases are quickly reported and investigated and that patients are properly cared for, with minimal risk to others,” Hull said. “We want to stop the spread of SARS as quickly as possible. Minnesota’s disease surveillance and response system is well prepared to meet this challenge.”

MDH, other state health departments and CDC are working closely with health care providers, including hospitals, to increase their level of awareness of SARS and to alert and identify members of the public who may be experiencing symptoms of the illness.

Updates on SARS, recommendations and travel advisories can be found on the Web at the World Health Organization site and the CDC site. A link to the CDC’s information on SARS is on the MDH home page.

-MDH-

For more information, contact:

Doug Schultz
MDH Communications
(651) 215-1303

Dr. Harry Hull
State Epidemiologist
(612) 676-5414

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