ELIZABETH COOPER
Observer-Dispatch

The Oneida County Department of Public Health Thursday sought to reassure the public that the county has not seen any cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a pneumonia-like illness that was first diagnosed in China and has taken scores of lives in Asia.

"We've talked to a lot of people who have some concern," said Ken Shilkret, the epidemiologist for the county Health Department. "We wanted to allay people's fears. We are prepared in case something does happen."

Shilkret said people should not panic about the new disease. There have been no SARS deaths in the United States to date, he said.

"There's no need to go around wearing masks," he said. "Don't be afraid to pick up packages from Hong Kong."

Shilkret said that there have been 17 SARS diagnoses in Upstate New York since the Chinese government first announced its SARS outbreak in mid February. Three cases in Onondaga County and two in Jefferson County are the closest to this area, and all of those cases are individuals who had recently been in China, he said.

None have been reported in Oneida, Herkimer or Madison counties.

He added that many of the Americans who have contracted the disease were in China negotiating adoptions of Chinese children. The province that processes many of the adoptions also has a high rate of SARS, he said.

Shilkret said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had obtained lists of the adoptive parents and requested that state health departments find them and check their health.

Susan Blatt, a medical consultant for the health department, said in a prepared statement that to be diagnosed with SARS, a patient must have been to areas where SARS is occurring or have come into contact with a SARS patient.

Symptoms may include a cough, shortness of breath, or a chest X-ray showing pneumonia, and a temperature of more than 105 degrees. The usual incubation period is two to seven days, but there have been cases that manifested as many as 10 days after exposure, Blatt said.

Shilkret said anyone who fears they may have SARS should contact their personal physician immediately.

People with questions about SARS may call the Oneida County Health Department at 731-3465. The Health Department Web site, www.co.oneida.ny.us, also contains SARS information.

The CDC Web site, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/