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Two suspected SARS patients quarantined in LA
Los Angeles, May 29: Two passengers aboard a Cathay Pacific Airlines flight that originated in Hong Kong were quarantined upon arriving in Los Angeles on Sunday after exhibiting symptoms associated with the deadly SARS virus, health officials said on Wednesday.
Los Angeles, May 29: Two passengers aboard a Cathay Pacific Airlines flight that originated in Hong Kong were quarantined upon arriving in Los Angeles on Sunday after exhibiting symptoms associated with the deadly SARS virus, health officials said on Wednesday.
The unidentified passengers on Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. Flight 882 were suffering from high fevers, but X-rays of their chests were normal, an official said.
The two new cases brought the total of suspected SARS cases in Los Angeles to 10 since mid-March. Another six patients have been deemed probable SARS cases, officials said.
"We were informed of the incident involving the passengers," said Llelwyn Grant, a spokesman for the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Los Angeles county officials declined to release any other information about the two most recent cases, citing patient confidentiality concerns.
During the Cathay Pacific flight, which was relatively empty with just 110 passengers on board, the crew phoned ahead to alert health authorities to the suspected SARS cases, a spokeswoman for the airline said.
The airline's policy is to separate the affected passengers from others on board and to provide them with surgical masks to reduce the risk of infection, said Mary Jersin, a Los Angeles-based spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific.
Cabin crew members who are attending to those passengers suspected of having SARS are required to wear masks, Jersin said. "The two individuals are individuals that we are aware of. They are part of our six probable and 10 suspected cases since March 15", said Los Angeles County health director Dr. Jonathan Fielding.
Protocols dictate that passengers would be asked to notify health officials if they exhibit any symptoms within 10 days, he said.
Patients who have fevers of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, respiratory difficulty and evidence of pneumonia are isolated in hospitals or at home until 10 days after they stop showing symptoms, Fielding said.
No definitive test exists for the corona virus that is believed to cause SARS, but antibody tests conducted 30 days after symptoms appear can detect a probable infection, he said. The World Health Organization has reported 8,240 probable and suspected cases of SARS, and 745 people have died as a result, according to the Centres for Disease Control. None of the 66 suspected cases in the United States has been fatal, the CDC reported.
However, health officials in Canada on Wednesday reported SARS has killed two more people in Toronto as concern about the deadly virus shut down a Toronto-area high school, sending staff and students into quarantine and raising fears it may have spread from hospitals to the broader community.
The Toronto area is the only place outside Asia where people have died of SARS. There have been 29 deaths to date and there are currently 12 probable and 20 suspect cases.
Bureau Report
The two new cases brought the total of suspected SARS cases in Los Angeles to 10 since mid-March. Another six patients have been deemed probable SARS cases, officials said.
"We were informed of the incident involving the passengers," said Llelwyn Grant, a spokesman for the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Los Angeles county officials declined to release any other information about the two most recent cases, citing patient confidentiality concerns.
During the Cathay Pacific flight, which was relatively empty with just 110 passengers on board, the crew phoned ahead to alert health authorities to the suspected SARS cases, a spokeswoman for the airline said.
The airline's policy is to separate the affected passengers from others on board and to provide them with surgical masks to reduce the risk of infection, said Mary Jersin, a Los Angeles-based spokeswoman for Cathay Pacific.
Cabin crew members who are attending to those passengers suspected of having SARS are required to wear masks, Jersin said. "The two individuals are individuals that we are aware of. They are part of our six probable and 10 suspected cases since March 15", said Los Angeles County health director Dr. Jonathan Fielding.
Protocols dictate that passengers would be asked to notify health officials if they exhibit any symptoms within 10 days, he said.
Patients who have fevers of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, respiratory difficulty and evidence of pneumonia are isolated in hospitals or at home until 10 days after they stop showing symptoms, Fielding said.
No definitive test exists for the corona virus that is believed to cause SARS, but antibody tests conducted 30 days after symptoms appear can detect a probable infection, he said. The World Health Organization has reported 8,240 probable and suspected cases of SARS, and 745 people have died as a result, according to the Centres for Disease Control. None of the 66 suspected cases in the United States has been fatal, the CDC reported.
However, health officials in Canada on Wednesday reported SARS has killed two more people in Toronto as concern about the deadly virus shut down a Toronto-area high school, sending staff and students into quarantine and raising fears it may have spread from hospitals to the broader community.
The Toronto area is the only place outside Asia where people have died of SARS. There have been 29 deaths to date and there are currently 12 probable and 20 suspect cases.
Bureau Report