Southern States - Kerala   

No confirmed SARS cases in State

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM April 26. No cases of the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have been confirmed in the State so far, though three persons were hospitalised under suspicion of having contracted the disease.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Health Secretary, K. Ramamoorthy, said one of the three suspected cases had been discharged from hospital in the absence of any clinical symptoms of the disease.

The other two patients were also not having the clinical symptoms now. They would be discharged upon receiving the report from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, where their serum samples had been sent.

He said Kerala was observing the highest level of vigilance against the disease. Since April 11, more than 2,000 air passengers disembarking at the three international airports in the State had been subjected to screening. ``Everything possible is being done to prevent people carrying this disease into our State from the affected countries,'' he said.

He said the report on the serum samples of the two persons still in hospital was expected from Pune by Monday. The doctors observing them were of the view that there was nothing to fear.

He said patients would be classified as `suspected' or `probable' based on the following criteria.

Suspected case:

1. Sudden onset of high fever (of more than 100.4 degree Fahrenheit.

2. One or more respiratory symptoms like cough, shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing.

3. History of visit to SARS affected countries within 10 days of onset of symptoms.

4. History of having taken care of, having lived with, having had face-to-face contact with or having had contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of a persons who has been diagnosed with the disease.

Probable case: A suspect case having X-ray findings of pneumonia, or a suspect case with an unexplained respiratory illness resulting in death, with the autopsy examination demonstrating the pathology of respiratory distress syndrome without an identifiable cause.

He said suspected patients or probable patients would be treated under strict quarantine in designated hospitals in the State. The doctors and other medical staff would be provided with high risk masks. The Union Department of Health would be sending five such masks to the small States and 10 to the big States. Kerala had requested the supply of 10 masks.

He said those with history of having stayed recently in Maharashtra and Goa (from where SARS cases had been reported in India) too should be subjected to screening for the symptoms of the infection.

Information regarding suspected cases was to be reported to the respective District Medical Officers (DMO). If the DMO could not be contacted, the information should be communicated to the Additional Director of Health Services, P. K. Sivaraman (Ph: 0471-2302160, 2331177, or 2302490; mobile 94472 04987).

The Director of Medical Education, K. A. Kumar, and the Director of Health Services, V. K. Rajan, also attended the press conference.

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