JP/4/sars

JP/4/sars

British SARS patient disappears after hospital release

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Authorities are looking for a British man who has been
identified as a probable Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
case, who was told to stay home for 14 days, but disappeared on
Friday.

An official with the government SARS investigating team said
the Briton was released from the hospital quarantine last
Wednesday, however he might have SARS.

"We're doing our utmost to monitor the British man," said team
member Azimal who is in charge of tracking him down.

The investigating team is in charge of monitoring SARS
suspects, their movements and contacts with other persons.

The 47-year-old British citizen, whose name was not given, is
Indonesia's first recorded probable case of SARS.

He had traveled to two SARS affected countries, Hong Kong and
Singapore, before arriving in Indonesia, where he fell ill with
SARS-like symptoms. The man's chest X-ray also showed indications
of pneumonia. This made him a probable SARS case according to the
World Health Organization's (WHO) definition.

The Briton was put under hospital quarantine on April 9.

Azimal said doctors released him after his health appeared to
have improved. But they told him to stay at home for 14 more days
to be absolutely sure he was disease free, he added.

It was not clear whether the hospital had determined whether
he actually had SARS as no samples from the patient had been sent
to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

During the period, the investigating team was to keep
monitoring his health. But when they came to his house on Friday,
the Briton had left, he said.

It was not clear why he had not followed instructions to stay
at home. There was no sign of him as of Friday afternoon.

Another team member, who declined to be named, said he had
notified officials at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
about the man's disappearance.

So far, the airport has not found his name on any passenger
lists, he said.

The British national works for a textile company in
Tanggerang. He was admitted to the Sulianti Saroso Infectious
Diseases Hospital in North Jakarta after he developed flu-like
symptoms resembling SARS.

Azimal had described the Briton as "uncooperative" earlier,
but he did not elaborate.

Under Law No. 4/1984 on epidemic diseases, persons found
guilty of obstructing government' efforts to curb an epidemic
could face a one-year prison sentence. The government invoked the
law early this month to cope with the SARS threat.

Since SARS was first detected in Guangdong province of China,
the disease has spread worldwide, killing more than 160 people
and infecting over 3,500.

Despite Indonesia's vicinity to SARS affected countries, the
country has yet to report a confirmed case of SARS.

A batch of seven blood samples from reported SARS patients
came up negative following a test at the Center for Diseases and
Prevention Control in Atlanta in the United States, a government
official said.

More samples would be sent to Atlanta soon, said Sumaryati
Aryoso who heads the Ministry of Health's research and
development office.

Azimal further said that the government had issued guidelines
to tackle SARS, outlining procedures to deal with possible SARS
cases in airports, hospitals, laboratories, and in public places.

"The guidelines have been distributed to all health clinics,
airports and relevant institutions," he said.