Philly12
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2001
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Orlando expecting invasion by deadly mystery virus
By Stephanie Erickson
Orlando Sentinel
Posted April 1 2003, 7:17 AM EST
ORLANDO -- With a deadly respiratory virus rapidly spreading across the world, local officials say it's a question of when -- not if -- it spreads to Central Florida, the destination of millions of tourists each year.
Although SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, has not yet been reported in Florida, some health-care workers already are taking extra precautions -- such as quizzing sick tourists more closely and donning face masks if a patient has traveled recently in certain parts of Asia.
"It very likely will make its way here," said Bill Toth, epidemiologist with the Orange County Health Department. "This is a worldwide destination."
The virus was first detected in Southeast Asia in November and has infected more than 1,620 people. So far, 58 people have died from the virus. In this country, there are 59 suspected cases in 22 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is no proven treatment. But on Monday, a United Nations official said international health experts expect within days to identify the virus causing the disease.
"I think we can identify the causative agent in quite a short time period. We think probably within a few days, at most a few weeks," said Hitoshi O****ani, the World Health Organization regional coordinator for SARS.
Last week, Orange County health officials were on alert during a floor-coverings convention that drew more than 20,000 people. Nearly 200 of the vendors at the Orange County Convention Center were from Asia, including three from Hong Kong.
"We were informed that a lot of vendors may have been in the Far East, and we also were getting information that SARS may be more infectious than first thought," said Dave Freeman, manager of the health-services division at Orange County's office of disaster and emergency services.
So his office sent convention-center officials information about what to look for and notified hospitals that the convention was going on.
Tom Ackerd, executive director of the convention center, said the next show to bring international visitors will be April 11, a kitchen- and bath-industry convention.
"We can't really prepare; we just have to wait and see," he said.
Employees at Florida Hospital-owned CentraCare in Lake Buena Vista are asking tourists more questions than usual -- and wearing face masks if a patient has been to Asia recently.
"They would probably be the first place to come in contact with this, being down there right in the heart of the tourist industry," Florida Hospital spokeswoman Stacy Heckman said of the CentraCare clinic.
Virus spreading in Asia
Such masks are a common sight in parts of Asia where the virus continues to spread -- 806 reported cases in China, 530 in Hong Kong, 91 in Singapore, and 58 in Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization.
California tops the list of affected states with 12 cases, followed by New York with eight. Like those states, Florida welcomes large numbers of visitors.
The Florida Department of Health has slightly modified its influenza-tracking system to monitor SARS across the state, spokesman Bill Parizek said.
The department has asked local health departments to be on the lookout for patients who became sick after Feb. 1 and have symptoms of SARS.
Lake County's health department has sent medical-alert letters to physicians.
"We are actively looking for anything that stands out, and we are in constant contact with the infectious-disease specialists at the hospitals," said Kevin Lenhart, spokesman for the Lake County Health Department. "It's very probable that we will see this in the Central Florida area."
A rising number of residents have been calling, asking whether they should be worried and what precautions they can take, he said.
"We're telling them what the CDC is telling us -- be aware of your health, be aware of your surroundings," he said.
Emergency center activated
The CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center and is recommending that people postpone until further notice any leisure travel to parts of Asia.
Toth said Orange County Health Department officials have spoken with airport officials about flights from certain parts of Asia that have connections in England before arriving in Orlando.
"We wanted them to notify us of incoming flights from Asia via connectors," he said.
There are several such flights, he said.
If a passenger begins to show symptoms in-flight, airline employees should screen the passenger for signs of SARS and report the incident to the airport's tower, Toth said. Airport workers should then inform the county health department and the U.S. Public Health Quarantine Service in Miami, and the passenger would not be allowed into the airport terminal.
The health department also wants airport workers to screen some passengers.
"This is not your garden-variety cold," Toth said. "It's very severe. The people who get this will be obviously ill. People just need to be on guard for it."
Symptoms include a fever above 100.4 degrees, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Toth said health officials also are concerned with some passengers from Canada, where 44 cases and four deaths have been reported.
Airport not yet screening
Carolyn Fennell, spokeswoman for Orlando International Airport, said: "We are monitoring the situation, but there is no active screening going on at this point. We have not been directed to, because we do not have any direct service from Asia."
Health officials are not certain exactly how SARS spreads. They initially thought the virus was spread through close contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of people with SARS but now say it may spread easier than they initially thought.
"Hopefully they will be able to identify this and find some answers," Lenhart said. "We are handling it on a minute-by-minute basis until we get more information and direction."
By Stephanie Erickson
Orlando Sentinel
Posted April 1 2003, 7:17 AM EST
ORLANDO -- With a deadly respiratory virus rapidly spreading across the world, local officials say it's a question of when -- not if -- it spreads to Central Florida, the destination of millions of tourists each year.
Although SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, has not yet been reported in Florida, some health-care workers already are taking extra precautions -- such as quizzing sick tourists more closely and donning face masks if a patient has traveled recently in certain parts of Asia.
"It very likely will make its way here," said Bill Toth, epidemiologist with the Orange County Health Department. "This is a worldwide destination."
The virus was first detected in Southeast Asia in November and has infected more than 1,620 people. So far, 58 people have died from the virus. In this country, there are 59 suspected cases in 22 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is no proven treatment. But on Monday, a United Nations official said international health experts expect within days to identify the virus causing the disease.
"I think we can identify the causative agent in quite a short time period. We think probably within a few days, at most a few weeks," said Hitoshi O****ani, the World Health Organization regional coordinator for SARS.
Last week, Orange County health officials were on alert during a floor-coverings convention that drew more than 20,000 people. Nearly 200 of the vendors at the Orange County Convention Center were from Asia, including three from Hong Kong.
"We were informed that a lot of vendors may have been in the Far East, and we also were getting information that SARS may be more infectious than first thought," said Dave Freeman, manager of the health-services division at Orange County's office of disaster and emergency services.
So his office sent convention-center officials information about what to look for and notified hospitals that the convention was going on.
Tom Ackerd, executive director of the convention center, said the next show to bring international visitors will be April 11, a kitchen- and bath-industry convention.
"We can't really prepare; we just have to wait and see," he said.
Employees at Florida Hospital-owned CentraCare in Lake Buena Vista are asking tourists more questions than usual -- and wearing face masks if a patient has been to Asia recently.
"They would probably be the first place to come in contact with this, being down there right in the heart of the tourist industry," Florida Hospital spokeswoman Stacy Heckman said of the CentraCare clinic.
Virus spreading in Asia
Such masks are a common sight in parts of Asia where the virus continues to spread -- 806 reported cases in China, 530 in Hong Kong, 91 in Singapore, and 58 in Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization.
California tops the list of affected states with 12 cases, followed by New York with eight. Like those states, Florida welcomes large numbers of visitors.
The Florida Department of Health has slightly modified its influenza-tracking system to monitor SARS across the state, spokesman Bill Parizek said.
The department has asked local health departments to be on the lookout for patients who became sick after Feb. 1 and have symptoms of SARS.
Lake County's health department has sent medical-alert letters to physicians.
"We are actively looking for anything that stands out, and we are in constant contact with the infectious-disease specialists at the hospitals," said Kevin Lenhart, spokesman for the Lake County Health Department. "It's very probable that we will see this in the Central Florida area."
A rising number of residents have been calling, asking whether they should be worried and what precautions they can take, he said.
"We're telling them what the CDC is telling us -- be aware of your health, be aware of your surroundings," he said.
Emergency center activated
The CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center and is recommending that people postpone until further notice any leisure travel to parts of Asia.
Toth said Orange County Health Department officials have spoken with airport officials about flights from certain parts of Asia that have connections in England before arriving in Orlando.
"We wanted them to notify us of incoming flights from Asia via connectors," he said.
There are several such flights, he said.
If a passenger begins to show symptoms in-flight, airline employees should screen the passenger for signs of SARS and report the incident to the airport's tower, Toth said. Airport workers should then inform the county health department and the U.S. Public Health Quarantine Service in Miami, and the passenger would not be allowed into the airport terminal.
The health department also wants airport workers to screen some passengers.
"This is not your garden-variety cold," Toth said. "It's very severe. The people who get this will be obviously ill. People just need to be on guard for it."
Symptoms include a fever above 100.4 degrees, cough, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Toth said health officials also are concerned with some passengers from Canada, where 44 cases and four deaths have been reported.
Airport not yet screening
Carolyn Fennell, spokeswoman for Orlando International Airport, said: "We are monitoring the situation, but there is no active screening going on at this point. We have not been directed to, because we do not have any direct service from Asia."
Health officials are not certain exactly how SARS spreads. They initially thought the virus was spread through close contact with respiratory secretions and body fluids of people with SARS but now say it may spread easier than they initially thought.
"Hopefully they will be able to identify this and find some answers," Lenhart said. "We are handling it on a minute-by-minute basis until we get more information and direction."
