The unidentified man and woman were not hospitalized, but health officials prepare for an outbreak.
By TAMARA LUSH
Published April 3, 2003
TAMPA - Two Floridians may have been infected with a mysterious flulike virus that has killed dozens of people worldwide and sickened thousands more.
A 36-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman are the state's first suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
"Both are fortunately doing well," said Dr. Steven Wiersma, an epidemiologist with the state Department of Health. He said the two had a "mild" case of the illness, similar to other cases reported in the United States.
SARS is believed to have originated in Asia. Hundreds of people who live in a Hong Kong apartment complex have contracted the illness after one infected man visited it, and many Hong Kong residents are wearing surgical masks for everyday protection.
Over the past week, the illness has crossed borders at warp speed.
Scores of new cases have been diagnosed in China, Vietnam and Singapore. The illness has cropped up in a smattering of European countries and the United States.
"SARS is going at the speed of a jet plane," said Dr. John Sinnott, director of infectious diseases at Tampa General Hospital. "Literally."
Across the globe, 2,223 people have been suspected of contracting SARS, including 72 Americans.
As of Wednesday, 78 people have died from the disease, none of them in the United States.
Florida health officials won't release the names or the hometowns of the two people, citing privacy concerns.
They were not hospitalized, Wiersma said.
There is no test to determine whether a person has the illness. Doctors diagnose SARS if symptoms match a list of criteria, and if the patient has traveled to parts of Asia, where the disease originated.
Because SARS is airborne and spreads quickly through coughing or sneezing, those who have had contact with Asian travelers are also at risk.
Doctors don't know what causes SARS. Researchers consider it related to coronaviruses, a group of viruses that cause bronchitis, pneumonia and even the common cold.
The illness has caused the World Health Organization to recommend that travelers postpone all but essential trips to Hong Kong, the first such warning in the group's 55-year history.
In Florida, public health officials plan to assess each case and look for ways to keep the illness from spreading.
Hundreds of people have contacted the Department of Health, worried that they may have the disease. Officials are preparing for panic, along with an outbreak.
"We are looking at all of the tools of public health that are available to us," said John O. Agwunobi, secretary of the Florida Department of Health. "Each scenario would require a detailed and customized approach. . . . Quarantine is one of the many tools in the public health arsenal."
Health officials say there have been no "community transmissions" of SARS and suggest vigilance about handwashing to ward off germs.
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have quarantined people, but so far, the United States has not.
Still, hospitals and health care workers across the nation are ratcheting up their infectious disease plans.
At Tampa General Hospital, sick people sitting in the emergency room are asked to wear masks until they are evaluated by a doctor or nurse.
At Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, doctors and infectious disease specialists monitor a statewide, "real time" computer program that tracks emergency room patients by syndrome and symptoms.
Neither hospital has seen any evidence of SARS cases.
"We won't be surprised if it turns up," said Sinnott. "It's very early in the epidemic."
- Tamara Lush can be reached at (813) 226-3373 or lush@sptimes.com Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report.
SARS: What is it and how does it spread?
The disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, continues to make headlines. Here are answers to some concerns about it.
What are the symptoms?
It usually begins with a fever of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes with chills and headache and body aches. After two to seven days, patients' symptoms can include shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and pneumonia.
Who's most at risk?
Travelers to or residents of certain parts of Asia, and people who have had direct close contact with an infected person, such as health care workers and those sharing a household with a SARS patient. Apart from that, there's no sign of it spreading in communities in the United States at the moment, federal authorities say.
What should I do if I think I have SARS?
If you have a fever of more than 100.4 degrees F and develop a cough or difficulty breathing, contact a health care provider. Explain any recent travel to regions where SARS has been reported and whether you were in close contact with someone who had these symptoms.
How does SARS spread?
The germ apparently travels on the tiny droplets of fluid that an infected person spews when coughing or sneezing. Experts say they're concerned about the possibility that it might also travel more broadly through the air.
What can I do to avoid SARS?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends postponing nonessential trips to mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hanoi, Vietnam. While some SARS cases have been reported in Canada, there's no sign of widespread community spread, so the CDC isn't advising against travel to or from there.
Can I catch the germ from an infected passenger in an airplane?
There have been a few reports suggesting that. The World Health Organization says that doesn't necessarily mean the germ spreads through recirculated air, however. To reduce the international spread of SARS, WHO is urging officials to screen international airline passengers departing from Toronto, Singapore, Hanoi and several Chinese cities for possible SARS and ask those who appear sick to delay their trip until they feel better.
