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Singapore Reporting New Cluster Of Possible SARS Cases

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- May 14, 2003 -- Health officials in Singapore reported yesterday a cluster of 24 patients and 6 nurses from the Institute of Mental Health who have recently developed fevers. All but one of the patients were from a single ward at the Institute.

In line with aggressive containment efforts in Singapore, officials decided to treat cases as though they represented a cluster of SARS cases until proven otherwise. The quick and comprehensive action taken by authorities is indicative of the high level of determination to bring the outbreak to an end. All patients and three of the nurses were transferred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore's designated SARS hospital, for further assessment. Two doctors who also worked in the two implicated wards have also been admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for observation.

Singaporean authorities are carrying out active contact tracing. All patients discharged from the Institute of Mental Health from 23 April until 2 May are being recalled for medical consultations at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Any patients discharged after 3 May will be quarantined at home for 10 days beginning 13 May. Close contacts of the staff and patients affected in the cluster are also being quarantined at home.

The Institute of Mental Health has adopted a series of stringent precautionary measures. These include no admission of new patients, no discharge of current inpatients, no movement of patients and staff across wards, and no referrals of inpatients to other hospitals. In addition, all outpatient, accident and emergency services are to be temporarily suspended.

The WHO team in Singapore reported today some signs that patients in the cluster, many of whom are elderly, may be ill from causes other than SARS.

No new probable cases of SARS were reported in Singapore today.

Update on cases and countries
As of today, a cumulative total of 7628 probable cases and 587 deaths have been reported from 29 countries. This represents an increase of 97 cases and 14 deaths when compared with yesterday. The new deaths occurred in Canada (1), China (5), Hong Kong SAR (2), and Taiwan, China (6).


SOURCE: WHO

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