WGSARS: Canada-wide Status Report April 11

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001061 SIPDIS STATE FOR WGSARS, OES/PCI, WHA/CAN (RUNNING) HHS FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (STEIGER) CDC for Global Health Office (Cox) and Epidemiology Program Office E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO AMED CA SARS SUBJECT: WGSARS: Canada-wide Status Report April 11 (Number 2) Ref. (A) Ottawa 1043 (SARS Canada-wide Report #1) (B) Toronto 1048 (Ontario SARS Health Emergency) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. Health Canada reports 253 probable or suspect cases across Canada, a net increase of 9. Health Canada, as a precaution, has asked blood collection agencies not to accept blood donations from those who have traveled outside Canada to SARS affected regions, or have been to a facility under SARS quarantine in Canada. Also, during flights from SARS affected regions, all passengers will be asked to fill out a "traveler tracing" form to provide to Canadian authorities upon arrival to facilitate passenger and health authority contact. End summary. -------------- Figures -------------- ¶2. As of 13:00 EDT, April 10, 2003, Health Canada has received reports of 253 probable or suspect cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Canada. The distributions of the cases to date are as follows: -- Ontario is reporting 95 probable and 111 suspect cases. All cases have occurred in persons who have traveled to Asia or had contact with SARS cases in the household or in a health-care setting. (See Toronto reporting for more detail on the situation in Ontario). -- British Columbia is reporting 3 probable and 32 suspect cases. -- New Brunswick is reporting 2 suspect cases. -- Saskatchewan is reporting 1 suspect case. -- Alberta is reporting 5 suspect cases. -- Prince Edward Island is reporting 4 suspect cases. ¶3. Fatalities: -- No change: 10, all clustered in Toronto, Ontario. -------------- Protecting Canada's Blood Supply -------------- ¶4. As a precautionary measure to protect the blood supply in Canada and recipients from the possible threat of SARS, Health Canada has directed the Canadian Blood Service and Hma-Quebec to temporarily exclude persons who meet the following profile from donating blood (for a period of 10 days): -- traveled within the previous 10 days to an affected area outside Canada. The affected areas are currently: China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Hanoi, Vietnam; Singapore and Taiwan; -- been a patient, worked in, or visited a facility that is under quarantine for SARS. ¶5. Health Canada has also requested that provincial public health officials, when investigating possible SARS cases, ask whether the individual has donated blood. If the individual has donated blood within 10 days prior to the first day of symptoms, public health officials are asked to notify Canadian Blood Services and Hma-Qubec. In such cases the donor's blood and blood products will be withdrawn from inventory. -------------- Information to trace travelers -------------- ¶6. Beginning Thursday, April 10th, as an added precautionary measure, Health Canada has arranged for in-flight distribution of a health alert card to passengers on all direct flights to Canada from Hong Kong, Singapore and Beijing. ¶7. Flight attendants will also ask passengers to fill out a traveler tracing form (also known as contact information cards) that will enable health authorities to contact passengers over a two-week period after their arrival in Canada, if necessary. These forms must be filled out before clearing customs. Upon arrival, Health Canada staff will gather these contact forms from passengers. Health Canada anticipates that this in-flight distribution will also be expanded to direct flights from other Asian destinations in the near future - but no details are as yet available. Cellucci