SARS

	All people reporting flu like symptoms should be asked about travel (or contact with someone who has travelled) in the last ten days to the affected areas. Currently these are China (Beijing, Hepei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and Tianjin) and Taiwan. If both these conditions apply they should be assumed to be a possible case of SARS; please refer to the protocol faxed to all practice managers (available on-line shortly). Contact the CCDC (Dr Elaine Farmery) at the Somerset Health Protection Unit on 01823 333491.
	People presenting to community hospitals with respiratory symptoms will be asked about their travel history. If they are deemed to be a possible case of SARS (as described above) they will be asked to go home if they are able and to contact their GP who will follow the protocol. They should not go by public transport. If they are too ill to go home, they will be referred to MPH as a possible case of SARS.
	For the archive of SARS updates, follow this link.

CASE DEFINITIONS

SUSPECT CASE

A person presenting with history of :

high fever (>38C)

and

one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, 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 are reported foci of transmission of SARS (see Annex).

PROBABLE CASE

A suspect case with chest x-ray findings of pneumonia or Respiratory Distress Syndrome

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
	Diarrhoea.

*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.

Areas affected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

(as of 16 March 2003)

Country	Area
Canada	Toronto, Vancouver
China	Guangdong Province, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
Singapore	Singapore
Viet Nam	Hanoi

FURTHER INFORMATION

	Daily summary of reported cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Cumulative number of reported suspect and probable cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
	World Health Organisation