Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome: Global Activity
May 30, 2003
At this time, Health Canada is monitoring confirmed global reports of severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreaks. Health Canada's recommendations
for travellers are based on multiple sources of data including the World
Health Organization (WHO) and country reports to the WHO. Recommendations
are subject to change as more information becomes available.
For a list of counties currently reporting cases of SARS, visit the World
Health Organization at http://www.who.int.
Recommendations
Due to the continued concern about the on-going level of local transmission,
Health Canada recommends that Canadians planning to travel to Beijing
and Tianjin in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan defer all travel
until further notice and recommends alternate routing be considered, when
possible, if transiting through these areas.
Due to the continued concern about limited spread of SARS in specific
geographic areas, Health Canada recommends that Canadians defer all elective
or non-essential travel to the provinces of Heibei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia,
Jilin, Guangdong in the Peoples Republic of China and to the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region.
Health Canada is aware that health authorities in these affected areas
are making concerted efforts to contain the spread of SARS in their populations.
Given the uncertainties of the current situation, Health Canada believes
it is prudent to await the outcome of national and international control
measures before undertaking travel to these destinations.
Travellers are advised that they will have to depend upon the local medical
services in the countries where they reside or visit and are reminded
that the health care services may be inadequate for the appropriate management
of SARS. Globally, SARS transmissions settings have consistently been
reported in hospitals. Travellers with chronic medical conditions who
may have to seek medical care for those conditions may be at risk of exposure
to SARS while in the hospital. Thus travellers are advised to consider
this risk when travelling to areas for which Health Canada has posted
a travel advisory. In the event that a traveller develops SARS, medical
evacuation may be very difficult. Canadian Missions may not be able to
assist Canadians with SARS with medical transportation out of the region
or back to Canada.
Persons who are travelling or have travelled to these areas should monitor
their health for 10 days following their departure from these areas. Should
a fever AND one or more of the following occur - chills,
muscle aches, feeling generally "unwell", headache, cough, shortness
of breath or difficulty breathing - Health Canada recommends that medical
advice be sought as soon as possible. Ill persons should call
ahead to their personal physician or local public health unit/department
for information about the appropriate Emergency Department or established
SARS Centre they should visit for assessment. Travellers should inform
their personal physician when and where they travelled, and indicate whether
there was contact with someone who had these symptoms. While not all travellers
with these symptoms have developed SARS, it is nevertheless important
to ensure that if you do get these symptoms, you stay away from other
people until you have been assessed for SARS. These actions are very important
for stopping the spread of SARS.
Independent of the current international SARS outbreak, Health Canada
routinely recommends that Canadian travellers seek an individual risk
assessment consultation with their personal physician or a travel medicine
clinic to determine their individual risks for illness.
Canadian travellers are reminded to practice good personal hygiene (e.g.,
good hand-washing practices) while travelling. Disease-causing micro-organisms
can frequently be found on the hands. Hand-washing is the single most
important procedure for preventing infections.
Canadian travellers are advised to continually monitor the latest Health
Canada's travel advisories.
|
