MSNBC Beijing sees first 2004 SARS case

[Guest guest]

>Beijing sees first 2004 SARS case

>China reported the first suspected SARS case in Beijing since a

>deadly outbreak last year, saying on Thursday that a nurse was being

>treated for symptoms of the disease.

>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4806051/

>

First 2004 SARS case in Beijing reported

170 people under observation after discovery

 

Updated: 9:16 a.m. ET April 22, 2004

 

BEIJING - China reported the first suspected SARS case in Beijing

since a deadly outbreak last year, saying on Thursday that a nurse

was being treated for symptoms of the disease.

 

=Five people who had close contact with the 20-year-old nurse had

developed symptoms, including a fever, and had been isolated, the

official Xinhua news agency said, citing the health ministry.

 

More than 170 others were under observation, it said.

 

The woman, a nurse at Jiangong Hospital in Beijing surnamed Li, had

fallen ill with symptoms of SARS on April 5 and was moved to People's

Hospital on April 14. She was being held in isolation and treated at

Ditan Hospital in Beijing.

 

" Five people who had close contact with her have fever and other

symptoms, " Xinhua quoted the health ministry as saying. " They have

been isolated for observation. "

 

The ministry had declared it a suspected case of SARS on Thursday

evening, Xinhua said.

 

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome first emerged in the southern

province of Guangdong late in 2002, spread to Beijing and on to more

than 30 countries, infecting about 8,000 people and killing nearly

800.

 

China confirmed four cases of SARS in Guangdong early this year, the

first since a world outbreak was declared over in July. All of them

recovered.

 

New leadership

The possibility of another outbreak in China's capital comes a year

after the new leadership, headed by President Hu Jintao, took

dramatic steps to end an official cover-up of the spread of the

disease in the capital.

 

In April 2003, they declared war on the disease, sacked the health

minister and the Beijing mayor, ordered open and accurate reporting

of SARS and mobilized health workers across the country to set up

checkpoints to halt its spread.

 

" Beijing has started its early warning system, organized

investigation concerning this infectious disease, disinfected the

patient's living environment and areas she frequented, and placed 171

people who had had close contact with her under medical observation, "

Xinhua said.

 

The latest case comes a week before the May 1 Labor Day holiday

golden week, during which tens of millions of Chinese are expected to

travel. China cut short the golden week last year in response to the

outbreak, which hit airline and tourism sectors hard.

 

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