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Tuesday, September 09, 2003
Singapore braces for possible Sars return as new suspected case emerges (2nd update, 11:35 am)
By Bernice Han
SINGAPORE -- Singapore was on edge Tuesday over fears of a resurgence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) as medical authorities carried out further tests on a man suspected of having contracted the deadly pneumonia-like virus.
Acting Minister for Health Khaw Boon Wan was expected to announce results of the tests at a press conference at 4:30 p.m., a Ministry of Health spokeswoman told AFP.
"Further tests are still being done," the MOH spokeswoman said, but gave no details on the new suspected Sars case, who was a patient at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
The man is now isolated at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which the government has designated as the city-state's confinement and treatment center for Sars.
Efforts to track down all people who have been in contact with the man have been underway since he first tested positive for Sars at the SGH.
The Straits Times newspaper said the man, whose identity has still not been released by authorities, worked in a virology laboratory at the National University of Singapore but it is believed his work did not involve the Sars virus.
Singapore was declared Sars-free last May 31 by the World Health Organization (WHO) but has maintained a high vigilance against a possible resurgence of the virus, which claimed 33 lives out of 238 infections locally.
Globally, the virus killed than 900 people and infected more than 8,000. East Asia bore the brunt of the casualties and infections.
Hong Kong health officials were on high alert following news of a possible resurgence of Sars in Singapore.
The two cities have extensive travel links, and Sars was believed to have been spread to Singapore earlier this year by local tourists returning from Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong will closely monitor developments and remain on high alert," a spokesman for the health department said.
Surveillance and preventive measures have been in place, and health checks on travelers from Singapore are being enhanced at Hong Kong International Airport, the spokesman said, adding the health department was seeking more information from its Singaporean counterparts on the suspected case.
Hong Kong, as well as Canada, have seen Sars scares in recent weeks when suspected cases were reported, but the patients were eventually found to be free of the disease, whose symptoms are similar to those of flu and pneumonia.
Sars claimed 297 lives in Hong Kong from nearly 1,800 infections, making it the worst hit region after China, where almost 350 people died. Hong Kong was only removed from the WHO's list of areas affected by Sars on June 23.
The virus first emerged in southern China's Guangdong province in November last year before spreading rapidly to more than 30 countries.
With the winter season in the northern hemisphere approaching, there are widespread worries of a resurgence as laboratories desperately try to find a cure for the disease, which displays pneumonia-like symptoms such as breathing difficulties, dry cough and high fever. AFP
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