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April 24, 2003
TALLAHASSEE -- An Okaloosa County woman who visited China was reported Wednesday to have Florida's first probable case of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
The 60-year-old woman, who is in voluntary isolation at her home and did not require hospitalization, was identified as a probable SARS case because of an X-ray showing signs of pneumonia, officials said.
Landis Crockett, state epidemiologist, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta expanded the SARS definitions last week to make cases probable when there are chest X-ray findings of pneumonia-like symptoms.
Those with fever and cough who have traveled to the affected Asian countries are deemed to be suspected cases.
State health officials have suspected 14 other SARS cases statewide, but most of those people are fully recovered, Crockett said.