- News>
New cluster of possible Sars cases reported in Canada
Toronto, Apr 15: A new cluster of 31 possible Sars cases in Canada involves members of a religious community who attended the April 1 funeral of a victim of the pneumonia-like disease, health officials said.
Toronto, Apr 15: A new cluster of 31 possible Sars cases in Canada involves members of a religious community who attended the April 1 funeral of a victim of the pneumonia-like disease, health officials said.
Dr Sheela Basrur, the chief medical officer of health in Toronto, said yesterday some of the probable and suspected cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or Sars, in the
cluster had previously been identified.
She said authorities figured out over the weekend that the 31 cases were linked, involving 29 members of the religious group and two physicians who came in contact with some of them. Toronto, Canada's largest city located 100 kilometers from the US border, is the epicenter of the largest outbreak of the illness outside of Asia, where Sars originated and has sickened thousands.
Most of the almost 300 probable and suspected cases in Canada have been in Toronto, including all 13 deaths reported so far.
Probable cases are people showing symptoms who have recently traveled to Asia, or have been in close contact with other Sars patients. Suspect cases show symptoms, but have no travel or contact history. Basrur said the new cluster was linked to the funeral of a Sars victim attended by members of the Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos covenant group, an International Catholic Sect.
"There are some 500 active members" of the community, Basrur said. "Of them, 29 members have either probable or suspect Sars and an additional two are not members of this group but worked closely with one of their members."
Bureau Report
She said authorities figured out over the weekend that the 31 cases were linked, involving 29 members of the religious group and two physicians who came in contact with some of them. Toronto, Canada's largest city located 100 kilometers from the US border, is the epicenter of the largest outbreak of the illness outside of Asia, where Sars originated and has sickened thousands.
Most of the almost 300 probable and suspected cases in Canada have been in Toronto, including all 13 deaths reported so far.
Probable cases are people showing symptoms who have recently traveled to Asia, or have been in close contact with other Sars patients. Suspect cases show symptoms, but have no travel or contact history. Basrur said the new cluster was linked to the funeral of a Sars victim attended by members of the Bukas-Loob Sa Diyos covenant group, an International Catholic Sect.
"There are some 500 active members" of the community, Basrur said. "Of them, 29 members have either probable or suspect Sars and an additional two are not members of this group but worked closely with one of their members."
Bureau Report