The prevalence of SARS in Guangdong province from 2003 to 2004 and its control

The clinical characteristics of patients, epidemiological factors and control measures for SARS prevalence in Guangdong province from 2003 to 2004 were analysed in order to improve the preventive tactics for this illness. The epidemiology and the related factors with the new SARS cases in Guangdong province in 2003-2004 were described and analysed by descriptive method of epidemiology. From August 2003 to June 2004, all together there were 4 community-acquired and laboratory diagnosed cases of SARS in Guangdong province; all of these cases had no contact history with the same kind of patients, neither occurring the secondary patients. In these 4 cases, one case might be infected through contact with civet cats, 2 cases had the possibility to contact with cevet cats before the onset of illness and the source of infection for the remaining one case was uncertain.. The positive rate of SARS-Cov IgG antibodies in personnels from two refectories with possible contacts with 3 SARS patients was 6.3% (8/128);and that of population working with wild animals was higher than that of the non-wild animal occupation [ 3.3% (46/1390) vs 0% (0/452)]. In addition, SARS genes could be detected from cages for civet cats in TGL restaurants managing civet cats by using RT-PCR assay. The mean interval from onset of illness to be diagnosed was 3 days ,and the mean interval from onset of illness to be isolated from community was 5.8 days(4-7 days). All thoe closely contactd with patients had been tracted and quarantined timely in which quarantine had been performed to all closely contacts 5-6 days after onset of illeness in 3 cases and 12 days in another one case.. In the whole range of Guangdong provinc, eating or killing of wild aninals, such as civet cats was prohibited. Under performance of these manoeuvres, no new case of SARS was discovered later on. It is concluded that the critical points in epidemics of SARS to control the spreading of disease consists of the improvement of the early warning surveillance system with core measures of the so called “3-early” ( early detection, early report and early isolation) and the management of suspected animals to be infected with SARS virus.