JP\/4\/sars<\/p>\n
British SARS patient disappears after hospital release<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Authorities are looking for a British man who has been
\nidentified as a probable Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
\ncase, who was told to stay home for 14 days, but disappeared on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
An official with the government SARS investigating team said
\nthe Briton was released from the hospital quarantine last
\nWednesday, however he might have SARS.<\/p>\n
"We're doing our utmost to monitor the British man," said team
\nmember Azimal who is in charge of tracking him down.<\/p>\n
The investigating team is in charge of monitoring SARS
\nsuspects, their movements and contacts with other persons.<\/p>\n
The 47-year-old British citizen, whose name was not given, is
\nIndonesia's first recorded probable case of SARS.<\/p>\n
He had traveled to two SARS affected countries, Hong Kong and
\nSingapore, before arriving in Indonesia, where he fell ill with
\nSARS-like symptoms. The man's chest X-ray also showed indications
\nof pneumonia. This made him a probable SARS case according to the
\nWorld Health Organization's (WHO) definition.<\/p>\n
The Briton was put under hospital quarantine on April 9.<\/p>\n
Azimal said doctors released him after his health appeared to
\nhave improved. But they told him to stay at home for 14 more days
\nto be absolutely sure he was disease free, he added.<\/p>\n
It was not clear whether the hospital had determined whether
\nhe actually had SARS as no samples from the patient had been sent
\nto the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.<\/p>\n
During the period, the investigating team was to keep
\nmonitoring his health. But when they came to his house on Friday,
\nthe Briton had left, he said.<\/p>\n
It was not clear why he had not followed instructions to stay
\nat home. There was no sign of him as of Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Another team member, who declined to be named, said he had
\nnotified officials at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
\nabout the man's disappearance.<\/p>\n
So far, the airport has not found his name on any passenger
\nlists, he said.<\/p>\n
The British national works for a textile company in
\nTanggerang. He was admitted to the Sulianti Saroso Infectious
\nDiseases Hospital in North Jakarta after he developed flu-like
\nsymptoms resembling SARS.<\/p>\n
Azimal had described the Briton as "uncooperative" earlier,
\nbut he did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
Under Law No. 4\/1984 on epidemic diseases, persons found
\nguilty of obstructing government' efforts to curb an epidemic
\ncould face a one-year prison sentence. The government invoked the
\nlaw early this month to cope with the SARS threat.<\/p>\n
Since SARS was first detected in Guangdong province of China,
\nthe disease has spread worldwide, killing more than 160 people
\nand infecting over 3,500.<\/p>\n
Despite Indonesia's vicinity to SARS affected countries, the
\ncountry has yet to report a confirmed case of SARS.<\/p>\n
A batch of seven blood samples from reported SARS patients
\ncame up negative following a test at the Center for Diseases and
\nPrevention Control in Atlanta in the United States, a government
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
More samples would be sent to Atlanta soon, said Sumaryati
\nAryoso who heads the Ministry of Health's research and
\ndevelopment office.<\/p>\n
Azimal further said that the government had issued guidelines
\nto tackle SARS, outlining procedures to deal with possible SARS
\ncases in airports, hospitals, laboratories, and in public places.<\/p>\n
"The guidelines have been distributed to all health clinics,
\nairports and relevant institutions," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4sars-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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