Abstract
We describe severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in France. Patients meeting the World Health Organization definition of a suspected case underwent a clinical, radiologic, and biologic assessment at the closest university-affiliated infectious disease ward. Suspected cases were immediately reported to the Institut de Veille Sanitaire. Probable case-patients were isolated, their contacts quarantined at home, and were followed for 10 days after exposure. Five probable cases occurred from March through April 2003; four were confirmed as SARS coronavirus by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, serologic testing, or both. The index case-patient (patient A), who had worked in the French hospital of Hanoi, Vietnam, was the most probable source of transmission for the three other confirmed cases; two had been exposed to patient A while on the Hanoi-Paris flight of March 22–23. Timely detection, isolation of probable cases, and quarantine of their contacts appear to have been effective in preventing the secondary spread of SARS in France.
Highlights
Introduction of SARS inFrance, March–April, 2003Jean-Claude Desenclos,* Sylvie van der Werf,† Isabelle Bonmarin,* Daniel Levy-Bruhl,* Yazdan Yazdanpanah,‡ Bruno Hoen,§ Julien Emmanuelli,* Olivier Lesens,¶ Michel Dupon,# François Natali,** Christian Michelet,†† Jacques Reynes,‡‡ Benoit Guery,‡ Christine Larsen,* Caroline Semaille,* Yves Mouton,‡ Daniel Christmann,¶ Michel André,** Nicolas Escriou,† Anna Burguière,† Jean-Claude Manuguerra,† Bruno Coignard,* Agnés Lepoutre,* Christine Meffre,* Dounia Bitar,* Bénédicte Decludt,* Isabelle Capek,* Denise Antona,* Didier Che,* Magid Herida,* Andréa Infuso,* Christine Saura,* Gilles Brücker,* Bruno Hubert,§§ Dominique LeGoff,¶¶ and Suzanne Scheidegger##We describe severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in France
We describe how SARS was introduced in France through a single patient who returned from Vietnam on March 23 and present data that suggest transmission from this patient to other passengers may have occurred during his flight back from Hanoi to Paris
These persons were transported to the closest universityaffiliated infectious disease ward or one of the nine infectious disease wards designated as a regional reference center in the French plan of action against bioterrorism, using masks for droplet protection
Summary
We describe severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in France. Patients meeting the World Health Organization definition of a suspected case underwent a clinical, radiologic, and biologic assessment at the closest university-affiliated infectious disease ward. Suspected cases were immediately reported to the Institut de Veille Sanitaire. Probable case-patients were isolated, their contacts quarantined at home, and were followed for 10 days after exposure. Five probable cases occurred from March through April 2003; four were confirmed as SARS coronavirus by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, serologic testing, or both. The index case-patient (patient A), who had worked in the French hospital of Hanoi, Vietnam, was the most probable source of transmission for the three other confirmed cases; two had been exposed to patient A while on the Hanoi-Paris flight of March 22–23. Isolation of probable case-patients, and quarantine of their contacts appear to have been effective in preventing the secondary spread of SARS in France
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