SARS Threatens Reappearance in China

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that a nurse in Beijing has tested positive for the SARS coronavirus in initial tests. Five of the 171 people with whom she had contact prior to showing symptoms have developed fevers, a strong indicator of SARS infection. In order to prevent another international epidemic, researchers must now examine the present strains to determine its mode of dissemination. Little progress has been made in the effort to understand the origins of the virus, despite worldwide collaborations between top laboratories. The WHO has been monitoring China for reappearances of the virus since the outbreak of November 2002, which the Beijing government concealed from the international community for several months. The spread of the SARS epidemic across various countries during 2003 was initially due to the opaque policies of the Chinese health system, which did not institute international travel precautions. "The fact they can pick up one case and do fast contact tracing is a positive development," says one US public health expert. –YaleGlobal

SARS Threatens Reappearance in China

Authorities respond swiftly to suspected case
Helen Pearson
Friday, April 23, 2004

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