State investigating two Kaua'i patients
| • | Person-to-person spreading of disease worries experts |
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Health Writer
The state Department of Health is investigating two suspected cases here of the mystery respiratory illness from Asia: a Kaua'i resident who traveled to Hong Kong last month and a Wilcox Hospital staff member who came in contact with her. But officials said the ailments are "unlikely" to be identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
Both women have recovered and were released from the hospital after experiencing relatively mild illnesses, state health director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said yesterday. None of their relatives has gotten sick.
Learn more about SARS
"Are these likely cases? I don't think so," said Dr. Paul Effler, Department of Health epidemiologist. "I'm reassured by what we see so far."
But for the time being, Hawai'i's two suspected cases count among 11 suspected cases in the United States. Worldwide, nine people have died and there have been 264 suspected cases, prompting the World Health Organization to issue a worldwide alert last weekend. None of the deaths have been in the United States.
Most of the cases have been in Vietnam, Hong Kong, southern China and Singapore with fewer cases in Canada, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Fukino said the Kaua'i woman visited Hong Kong, Kowloon and Macau last month and became ill shortly after the Health Department sent out a Feb. 21 alert to healthcare providers about an avian flu that had emerged in Hong Kong and caused deaths.
Effler said the woman was admitted to the hospital with fever and mild respiratory symptoms as a precaution. "She was discharged after three days. She recovered fine and has been well since then and none of her family members became ill, either," he said.
When the Health Department followed up with hospital staff, they found another woman who had been in close contact with the first patient developed pneumonia. She was admitted to Wilcox Hospital on March 8 and released two days later.
Effler said CDC and World Health Organization reports that the disease may have been traced to a single floor of the Metropole Hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, is encouraging.
Other promising news comes from researchers in Germany and Hong Kong, indicating they have detected particles of a virus from the paramyxoviridae family in samples taken from patients with SARS.
That virus is related to mumps. "I think we're honing in on what it is," Effler said.
Effler said he expects that as more people become aware of the symptoms of the disease, more reports of suspicious illnesses will turn up.
"With the increased surveillance, we anticipate investigating many more suspect cases, but we want to reassure the public that there are no confirmed cases of SARS in Hawai'i at this time and that all possible precautions are being exercised," he said.
The disease appears to have an incubation period of two to seven days from exposure to showing symptoms of illness. People are classified as a possible SARS case if they have all of the following indicators:
- A fever of 100.4 degrees or higher.
- Respiratory difficulties such as a cough or shortness of breath.
- Have traveled recently to Hong Kong or Guangdong province in China; Hanoi, Vietnam; or Toronto, Canada or have had close contact with someone who has.
The CDC continues to advise people who are planning nonessential travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, China; and Hanoi, Vietnam, to consider postponing their trips until further notice.
Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
