The Kitsap County Health District has asked the local medical provider community to be on the alert for potential cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.

By March 17, the federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had received reports of SARS cases in: Canada, Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Switzerland, and Germany. Although there have been no reported cases of SARS in Washington State or elsewhere in the U.S., people who have recently traveled to – or been in close contact with someone who have traveled to those places may have been exposed to SARS and are advised to monitor their health for at least ten days. Approximately 167 suspect and probable cases have been reported, with the majority in China and Vietnam.

Contact your health care provider immediately if you become ill with a fever (greater than 100.4° F) accompanied by one or more symptoms of respiratory illness including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, or respiratory distress.

The Health District is working with the Washington State Department of Health and federal authorities to provide the latest and most accurate SARS information to local medical providers. The Health District is also working with these partners to monitor Kitsap County for any potential cases, and to respond immediately if a case is identified.

Medical providers have been asked to report potential cases of SARS to the Kitsap County Health District at (360) 337-5235. For more information, contact Dana Brainerd, RN, in the Clinical Service Program at (360) 337-5239.