Toronto confirms eight new SARS cases
Toronto health officials confirmed today that eight new probable cases of SARS had been found in a new cluster that emerged in recent days.
Dr Colin D’Cunha, chief medical officer of health for Ontario province, said two of those eight patients had died. Another SARS patient dating back weeks also died early today, raising the death toll of the disease in the Toronto area to 27.
“We have found eight new probable cases linked through to our original set of cases, going back to the middle of April,” D’Cunha said.
The eight probable cases are part of a cluster of 34 cases that surfaced on Thursday. D’Cunha said 26 of those cases were considered suspected SARS cases and remain under investigation.
The new cluster of possible cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome has prompted US health officials to issue a new travel alert for Canada’s largest city, which had thought it had shaken the virus.
The World Health Organisation confirmed one new positive case but said more confirmation of an outbreak in Toronto was needed before considering such a travel warning.
SARS has spread to more than 8,000 people around the globe and killed 708, the vast majority of them in Asia. Canada earlier had about 150 cases and 24 deaths.
Toronto was removed from the WHO list of locations with SARS earlier this month when more than 20 days – the length of two SARS incubation periods – had passed since the last known case on April 19.
WHO also had issued a travel advisory for Toronto on April 23, but lifted it a week later.
The SARS outbreak that first appeared in March hit Toronto’s vital tourism and convention industry hard as travellers cancelled plans to visit the city. Ontario and city officials launched aggressive marketing campaigns to lure back business and visitors.
