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May 3, 2005
Currently, there is no known SARS transmission anywhere in the world. The most recent human cases of SARS-CoV infection were reported in China in April 2004 in an outbreak resulting from laboratory-acquired infections (see Laboratory Biosafety for more details). CDC and its partners, including the World Health Organization, continue to monitor the SARS situation globally. Any new updates on disease transmission and SARS preparedness activities will be posted at this site April 26, 2004 Authorities in China have re-instituted measures to impede the spread of SARS after detecting several new cases. Temperature checks and other surveillance for infected persons have resumed. At the request of Chinese authorities, the World Health Organization has begun an investigation. The recent cases apparently began in two individuals who worked at the National Institute of Virology laboratory in Beijing, where SARS research is conducted. A nurse, two doctors and another hospitalized patient who were exposed to one of these individuals subsequently became infected, and in turn infected some of their family members. Because one of the the infected individuals took a long train trip prior to diagnosis, the World Health Organization has issued a warning over China's public railroad system. Chinese authorities are also concerned about spread of the disease during the upcoming May Day holiday. January 7, 2004 Authorities in the Philippines announced that a woman suspected of contracting SARS in Hong Kong does not in fact have the disease. The 32 year old Chinese man with SARS was expected to be released from the hospital on January 8th. The government set a deadline of Saturday for the slaughter of more than 10,000 civet cats. January 6, 2004 Officials from the World Health Organization confirmed that a Chinese TV producer had contracted SARS, the first such case in 6 months. The 32 year old Guangzhou man had been hospitalized in mid-December with an initial diagnosis of pneumonia. Guangzhou is a city in the southern province of Guangdong, from which SARS emerged in November, 2002. In response, Chinese officials ordered the culling of thousands of civet cats, which are eaten as a delicacy in Guangdong but which are believed to harbor the virus that causes SARS. A woman in the Philippines who had worked as a maid in Hong Kong is also suspected of having SARS. She and her family are under quarantine. July 5, 2003 Today the World Health Organization removed Taiwan from its list of countries with recent, local transmission of SARS. Taiwan is the last area to be removed the list. WHO officials stress that continued vigilance will be necessary and that the world is not, and may never be, "SARS-free". July 2, 2003 Today the World Health Organization removed Toronto, Canada from its list of countries with recent transmission of SARS. Only Taiwan remains on the list. June 24, 2003 Today the World Health Organization lifted its travel restriction for Beijing, China. As a result, WHO currently has no travel restrictions in place related to SARS. Because more than 20 days have passed since the last new SARS case was isolated in Beijing, the WHO also removed Beijing from its list of areas with recent local transmission, leaving only two areas of the world on the list: Toronto, Canada and Taiwan, China. However, WHO does not have travel restrictions in place for these areas. June 23, 2003 Today the World Health Organization removed Hong Kong from its list of areas with recent local transmission of SARS. June 17, 2003 Today the World Health Organization has lifted its SARS-related travel restriction on Taiwan. Previously, SARS-related restrictions for Hong Kong, and the Hebei, Shanxi, Tianjin, and Inner Mongolia Provinces, were also lifted by WHO. Only Beijing, China remains under a WHO travel restriction: travelers are advised to consider postponing all but essential travel to Beijing. |
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