June 23, 2004 - The July issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) contains a report on 12 chronic dialysis patients who contracted severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong in 2003.

"Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Dialysis Patients" - abstract from JASN

April 29, 2004 - Several countries have put up their guard against the spread of SARS and China said it had notified foreign visitors that a Beijing disease control laboratory could be the source of the new outbreak. Story from Reuters via Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

April 26, 2004 - International health officials blamed a breach in lab security Monday for China's latest emergence of SARS as Chinese authorities kept nearly 500 people quarantined in a struggle to contain the virus before a major holiday puts millions of travelers on the road. Story from AP/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

April 23, 2004 - China's Ministry of Health reported two confirmed SARS cases and two suspected cases, one of whom has died. Story from AFP via Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

December 12, 2003 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is making this document available in draft form to assist local and state public health and healthcare officials in their preparations for a possible reemergence of SARS during the approaching respiratory disease season.

"Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)" - documents from the CDC

October 21, 2003 - To minimize the threat from SARS and other lung infections, federal health officials have proposed that anyone who comes into a hospital, doctor's office or clinic with a cough or other respiratory symptoms be required to immediately don a surgical mask and be isolated from other patients until they can be diagnosed. Washington Post story via Birmingham News. (link is no longer available)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a draft plan outlining the concepts and strategies that would guide the U.S. response in the event of another outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome. The document is intended to assist local and state public health and health care officials in their preparations for a possible reemergence of SARS during the approaching respiratory disease season.

"Draft Plan: Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)" - downloading page from the CDC.

Interestingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) has just released a report on the epidemiology of SARS. The report found no evidence that SARS is an airborne disease. October 17 consensus document from the WHO. Some main conclusions from the report:

• The report found no evidence that SARS is an airborne disease.
  
  
• Health care workers were at special risk.
  
  
• The risk of transmission is greatest at around day 10 of illness.
  
  
• The report found no evidence that patients transmit infection 10 days after fever has resolved.
  
  
• Children are rarely affected by SARS.
  
  
• The implications of the Metropole Hotel outbreak are not yet fully understood.
  
  
• Risk of in-flight transmission.

September 29, 2003 - Physicians say differentiating SARS from regular coughs and colds could take a great deal of time and resources. Story from American Medical News.

September 27, 2003 - U.S. health agencies are testing drugs and taking steps to protect the nation's blood supply to prepare for any re-emergence of SARS. Story from Reuters/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

September 25, 2003 - Here are three, full-text, early release articles from The Annals of Internal Medicine.

• An Outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome among Hospital Workers in a Community Hospital in Hong Kong
  
  Listening to SARS: Lessons for Infection Control (link is no longer available)
  
  
  
• Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in 267 Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Hong Kong

September 13, 2003 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sept. 23 and 30 will Webcast two training programs on severe acute respiratory syndrome for health care workers and public health personnel. The programs are being offered in anticipation of a possible seasonal reemergence of the disease to provide updated information on identifying and managing patients with SARS and preventing transmission of the disease in health care facilities and the community.

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

1. Infection Control for Hospitals and Other Healthcare Facilities
   
   
2. Quarantine: Community Response / Community Containment
   
   
3. Legal Challenges of Quarantine and Isolation
   

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

1. What Every Clinician Should Know: Basic Diagnosis and Patient Management
   
   
2. What's New in SARS Laboratory Diagnostics?
   
   
3. Surveillance: How to Prepare the Clinician for Early Recognition and Diagnosis
   

For a full description of the program and faculty including links forregistration
and materials, click here.

September 9, 2003 - Singapore's Ministry of Health confirmed Tuesday that a 27-year-old man had contracted SARS, the world's first case of the deadly virus since the World Health Organization declared a global outbreak over on July 5. Story from Reuters/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

Scientists in Singapore also unveiled a simple 15-minute test kit for SARS infection. Story from AFP/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

September 4, 2003 - China has called on doctors and citizens to take precautions against influenza this winter when the flu-like SARS (news - web sites) virus could return, the China Daily said on Friday. Story from Reuters/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

Fears that animals carrying Sars-like viruses could trigger another outbreak have been heightened by a testing programme. Story from the BBC.

Resources for SARS Information

The CDC has published the Case Definition for SARS.

The CDC is providing Exposure Management and Isolation and Infection Control Guidelines for SARS.

The CDC also released a Fact Sheet of information about SARS.

The CDC provides this Information for Clinicians page on SARS.

The CDC has an information page on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).


[This message has been edited by Gary Peterson (edited 07-26-2004).]