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Two illness florida { April 2 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-42mysteryillness,0,3010576.story?coll=sfla-news-floridahttp://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-42mysteryillness,0,3010576.story?coll=sfla-news-florida
Two suspected mystery illness cases surface in Florida
Associated Press
April 2, 2003, 7:51 PM EST
TALLAHASSEE -- Two Florida residents may have been infected with a virus that has sickened hundreds of people in eastern Asia.
A 21-year-old woman and 36-year-old man who might have contracted sudden acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, traveled to Asia within the previous 10 days and showed some symptoms of the virus, Florida health officials said Wednesday.
``Because these cases were identified early, it provides us with a greater opportunity to prevent any additional spread of the infection,'' said John O. Agwunobi, secretary of the Florida Department of Health.
Identities and locations of the two people were not released by health officials, who cited privacy concerns. They were being treated by their personal doctors and were asked to stay home to avoid spreading the illness, said Dr. Steven Wiersma, state epidemiologist. He wouldn't specify what their treatment involved.
Anyone who has traveled to China, Hong Kong, Vietnam or Singapore in recent weeks, and is running a fever over 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and is experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, is considered a suspect case. But there is no perfected medical test for the virus and a new antibody test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta wasn't yet available in Florida, Wiersma said.
The spread of the mysterious illness, for which researches haven't yet proved a cause, has heightened concerns around the country and within the state. A Fort Pierce first-grader who had recently visited Vietnam with his parents was sent home from St. Andrew's Episcopal School this week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its travel warning to include that country.
``We had a significant number of parents who were concerned and fearful,'' Pastor John Lieber of St. Andrew's told The Palm Beach Post.
A school in Greenwich, Conn., asked more than 40 students and staff members to stay home for a few days because they had recently visited the Far East, although none had shown symptoms of SARS.
The virus has led to mass quarantines in Hong Kong and China. Worldwide, 78 people have died. There have been 85 suspect cases reported in the United States, but there have been no deaths.
Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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