BMJ  2004;328 (24 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7433.0-d

Atypical presentation of SARS may generate an outbreak

Atypical presentation of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) may delay diagnosis of the index case and generate an outbreak. Chow and colleagues (p 195) give details of an outbreak in a Singapore hospital, where the index patient presented with gastrointestinal bleeding. They describe the epidemiological link of 51 patients infected directly or indirectly from the index patient, and provide an insight on the special measures introduced to control the outbreak: strict infection control, a good surveillance system, early introduction of isolation procedures, and vigilant healthcare workers.

Credit: ED WRAY/AP PHOTO

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Relevant Article

Outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in a tertiary hospital in Singapore, linked to an index patient with atypical presentation: epidemiological study

Khuan Yew Chow, Chien Earn Lee, Moi Lin Ling, Derrick Mok Kwee Heng, and Soon Ghee Yap
BMJ 2004 328: 195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]