SARS may be a recurring problem

The World Health Organisation announced yesterday that it has removed Toronto, from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. The last probable case was detected on 12th June and immediately isolated. When 20 days, or twice the incubation period, have passed without detection of a new case, the chain of human-to-human transmission is considered broken. This leaves Taiwan as the only area in the world to have experienced recent local transmission of SARS.

“This is a great achievement for public health in what we hope is the final phase of the global emergency,” said David Heymann, the WHO Executive Director for communicable diseases. “Toronto faced an especially challenging outbreak. As we have learned, SARS is a difficult disease that produces many surprises and setbacks.”

However, health experts have sounded a warning, saying that SARS may follow the pattern of the related cold and ‘flu viruses and return later in the year when colder and damper weather sets in.

The warning is given credibility by Julie L. Gerberding MD, MPH, director of the CDC who says: “We need to be prepared for the possibility that we’ll see a resurgence or even expansion of SARS next fall … We are currently in the process of developing a contingency plan for the potential for resurgence or an expansion. I think that’s a prudent measure, I pray we don’t need it, but we want to be ready and we’ll be ready if we have to go there.” [Source: infectiousdiseasenews.com]

•Date: 3rd July 2003 • N.America/Worldwide •Type: Article •Topic: SARS disease
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