No
SARS cases reported in area
Apr. 11, 2003
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/
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