SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
A person with SARS develops a fever, followed by respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. In some cases, the respiratory symptoms become increasingly severe, and people may require admission to an intensive care unit in hospital. Beside the fever, other symptoms may include muscle aches, headaches, and sore throat.
There are no cases of SARS in the Yukon.
SARS is probably caused by a virus. In the absence of a confirmatory laboratory test, doctors are using the following criteria to diagnose SARS:
- people who have recently travelled to affected countries in Asia or who have had close contact with persons diagnosed with SARS; and
- who develop a fever (over 38.0 degrees celsius); and
- have one or more of the following respiratory symptoms: cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
At this time, the only risk factors identified are recent travel to affected countries in Asia, or close contact with a person who has SARS within 10 days of onset of symptoms. Close contact includes living in the same household, providing health care to someone with SARS, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of a person with SARS.
For travel information please call Whitehorse Health Centre 667-6371 or Yukon Communicable Disease Control 667-8323 Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Two terms are used when describing a case of SARS, a "suspect" case or a "probable" case. A "suspect" case of SARS is a person who fits into one of the following two categories:
- a person who develops fever and one or more respiratory symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, within 10 days of returning from travel to areas in Asia where SARS cases are being reported; or
- a person who develops fever and one or more respiratory symptoms, including cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, within 10 days of having had close contact with a suspect or probable case of SARS
"Probable" cases of SARS are similar to suspect cases, but often they have a more severe illness, with progressive shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, and in some cases, chest x-rays show signs of atypical pneumonia.
To help prevent SARS, practise good personal hygiene. This is key to stopping the spread of many infectious diseases. Thorough hand-washing, using hot, soapy water and lathering for at least 20 second is the single most important procedure for preventing infections. This is because disease-causing micro-organisms can frequently be found on the hands.
SARS information and health care advice are available through Telecare at 1-800-454-8302. For additional information and the most recent updates on SARS in Canada, please visit Health Canada.