Number of suspected SARS cases in Texas grows to five

April 9, 2003, 9:11PM

Number of suspected SARS cases in Texas grows to five

Associated Press

AUSTIN -- A fifth suspected case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, has been reported in Texas, the state health department said today.

An Austin-area man, like the four other suspected Texas victims of the flu-like illness, traveled recently to Asia, Texas Department of Health spokesman Doug McBride said.

"He became ill in early April. We've known about the possibility for a few days," McBride said. The latest suspected victim traveled in late March to the Guangdong provice of China and to Hong Kong, he said.

Other suspected SARS victims from Texas are from Harris, Collin, Lubbock and Fort Bend counties. None is hospitalized. All are adults and had visited Hong Kong, Singapore or China, officials said. Two of them have recovered. The Lubbock County resident, who has recovered, had not been that county since becoming ill.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 154 suspected cases of SARS are now reported in 30 states. McBride said all are suspected and under investigation -- not confirmed or absolute.

McBride says it's not surprising to see increasing numbers of suspected cases, in light of extensive travel by Americans to Asia.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/1860641

 

Two Canadian schools shut to stop SARS spread

Canadian health officials fighting the spread of the deadly SARS virus have shut down two Toronto schools and quarantined about 200 staff at a Toronto company.

Thousands of Canadians, mostly in the Toronto area, and many of them healthcare workers, have been quarantined in their homes amid fears that they have been exposed to the virus and might infect others.

Health officials said they had shut down Toronto's Stephen Leacock high school, with about 1,100 students and staff, until April 15 because of a possible SARS case there.

In addition, officials said they closed John Buchan Senior Public School, with about 430 students and staff, because it shares facilities with Stephen Leacock.

Officials said an employee at a Toronto company, who was a probable SARS case, continued to go to work despite being told to go into isolation. They did not name the company.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has claimed 10 lives in Canada, the only country to be hit with SARS deaths outside of Asia.

The virus spread to Canada from China's Guangdong province.

Health officials reported 242 SARS cases in Canada on Wednesday, up from 232 on Tuesday.

In Ontario, Canada's most populous province, the cases rose to 195 from 190, mostly in the Toronto area.

SARS has killed more than 100 people and infected at least 2,800 in 20 countries.