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Florida case shows SARS may be workplace threat
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) -- A Floridian who contracted SARS abroad has infected a coworker, the state department of health said Wednesday, marking the first time the disease may have been spread to someone other than a household member or health care worker. A spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta told CNN the organization was not aware of any spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in the United States among coworkers. She added the CDC does not have guidelines to guard against transmission to coworkers, only to household contacts and health care workers. Other than announcing the case in a brief statement, Florida health officials did not release any details on the coworkers. Also Wednesday, health officials in Florida's panhandle were trying to determine whether a 6-year-old is the first child in the state to contract SARS. According to the CDC, the majority of SARS patients around the country have been previously healthy adults, ranging in age from 25 to 70. The child has been pulled from classes at Edge Elementary School in Niceville, just north of Destin, and remains at his Okaloosa County home. "The child is at home recovering and doing well," said Okaloosa County Health Director Dr. Karen Chapman. "The child will remain on home isolation until 10 days after symptoms resolve." As a precautionary measure, educational fact sheets are being handed out to all employees and volunteers at Edge Elementary School. Child's relative traveled to SingaporeThe child may have contracted the disease from a female relative who recently traveled to Singapore, one of the Asian nations hit hard by SARS. The woman got sick three days after she returned, said Charlene Echols, nursing director for the health department in Santa Rosa County, which is next to Okaloosa. The woman had a fever and a cough and contacted the county health department, and is now in voluntary isolation at home, Echols said. CDC personnel called the people on the woman's flights to let them know they had traveled with someone suspected of having SARS, and those people were told what symptoms to watch out for, Echols said. The woman flew more than 10 days ago, however, so those fellow passengers would be past the 10-day incubation period in which symptoms of SARS are expected to appear, Echols said. Echols would not give specific dates for when the woman traveled or returned home. There are now 154 suspected cases in 30 U.S. states, according to the CDC. Worldwide, there are 2,722 suspected cases in 18 countries, including the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. More than 100 of those infected have died. (Full story) The WHO and CDC say the disease is caused by a newly recognized coronavirus -- the same virus family that causes the common cold. Anyone who has traveled to affected countries in Asia, or has been in close contact with someone who has, is advised to be aware of symptoms that include a fever of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, dry cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
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