Three SARS cases in DuPage County
By Tona Kunz Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted April 05, 2003
The SARS epidemic plaguing Asia has hit home, with the Illinois Department of Health confirming three suspected cases in DuPage County.
The DuPage Health Department for several months has been monitoring respiratory cases at area hospitals and clinics in hopes of avoiding a surprise outbreak like the West Nile virus last summer.
Health department officials said they don't suspect any more cases than the three found to fit the Centers for Disease Control definition of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.
No test exists for the disease, which exhibits flu- and pneumonia-type symptoms.
((Boy, if that isn't an open invitation I don't know what is))
The five suspected cases in the Chicago region, including the three DuPage cases, affected people from 17 to 65 years old. Four of the five are women.
In Naperville, Edward Hospital officials have started asking about the travel histories of all patients with respiratory problems.
"We have had people come in with symptoms," said Brian Davis, vice president of marketing at the hospital. "That has not been an overwhelming number."
Davis said he was unsure if those cases were ruled out as SARS.
Area hospital and the health department officials say they're prepared if more cases appear in the county. They plan to follow the same containment plans as for other communicable diseases.
"We are prepared for communicable diseases," Davis said. "We have isolation rooms on each of our floors and in our outpatient areas. Our physicians are well-trained."
Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield hasn't seen any cases, but has set up screening points at all its facilities, said Kim McKeown, public relations manager.
SARS has a two- to 10-day incubation period before symptoms start occurring. Health department personnel have given the victims and their families undisclosed guidelines to follow and are checking with them every few days to make sure it has not spread to family members.
SARS is being treated with antibiotics similar to those used with pneumonia.
The disease is spread through coughing or sneezing and can stay alive in the air or on objects for up to three hours. Health experts say people are most contagious when exhibiting symptoms, but it has yet to be determined if people can spread the disease before or after that period. Most of the cases worldwide have been spread to family members or health professionals.
The Centers for Disease Control reports no cases in the United States where the disease was found to have spread through casual contact.
The state health department has reported 100 cases nationwide since Feb. 1. There have been no deaths, compared to the 20,000 lives claimed in 2002 by the flu, 5,000 by food-borne illnesses and 270 by West Nile virus.
How big a problem SARS is worldwide depends on who you ask. The National Center for Infectious Disease at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta this month reported 337 cases in 14 countries with 10 leading to death since Feb. 1, when the disease began to get worldwide attention.
The World Health Organization has taken a retrospective look at cases and now reports that from November through April suspected cases total 2,353 in 14 countries with 84 leading to death. |
