Washington, Sept 03: SARS could re-emerge this fall as cold temperatures in the northern hemisphere allow respiratory illnesses to spread, international health experts and US intelligence officials say. Unlike the outbreak earlier this year, the next time the disease could take hold in countries without adequate public health systems, says a report by the National Intelligence Council, which comprises senior analysts who report to CIA chief George J Tenet.
While the World Health Organisation says all human chains of SARS transmission of were stopped, the virus could still exist in animal populations and be retransmitted to humans, the report says. "The wave of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has been overcome, but SARS has not been eradicated," says the report, prepared by Karen Monaghan, acting national intelligence officer for economics and global issues. It adds "many health experts fear it could return again in the fall when cooler temperatures return in temperate areas. We remain vulnerable".
The World Health Organisation, the UN's health agency, fears the disease could become seasonal. It urged medical authorities worldwide yesterday to launch an influenza vaccination campaign, saying it would help stop confusion in future outbreaks of SARS. While flu vaccines won't affect SARS, flu and pneumonia symptoms are similar to those of SARS. Immunising people against flu would reduce the number of cases of that illness, as well as those of pneumonia, and make it easier for doctors to decide whether a patient suffers from flu or SARS, the who said. Bureau Report