State adds three to suspected SARS tally

Three people who became ill after traveling to Asia have been added to the list of suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Washington, the state Department of Health said yesterday. Previously, four suspected SARS cases were identified in King County.

All seven people are doing well, health officials said, and are either completely recovered or nearly so.

The three are a man in his 50s who went to China, a woman in her 20s who went to Hong Kong and a man in his 40s who went to Hanoi, Vietnam, said Tim Church, spokesman for the Department of Health. The first patient lives in Snohomish County; the two others live in Pierce County.

The patients have been instructed to call health officials if close contacts develop symptoms of respiratory illness.

Church said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) originally did not believe the three fit criteria established to identify possible SARS cases.

But as it became apparent that additional areas in Asia beyond those first identified were involved in the outbreak, including places visited by the three most recent patients, the state and CDC determined they met the definition.

Dr. Maxine Hayes, the state health officer, said the definition of a SARS case is broad at this time.

So far, the only suspect cases in this state are people who have traveled to specific countries in Asia. According to the CDC, areas with documented cases of SARS include Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Guangdong province, Peoples' Republic of China; Hanoi; Singapore; and Toronto, Canada.

So far, there have been no cases in Washington state of transmission between people with no history of recent travel to affected areas, said Dr. Alonzo Plough, director of Public Health — Seattle & King County.

Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com