Taipei (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Sars nightmare is spreading: yesterday, a Taiwanese researcher tested positive for the virus; today, two of his colleagues are recovering in a US hospital. After attending a medical seminar in Singapore on Dec. 7, the two scientists proceeded to travel to the United States. While not revealing details of the men's whereabouts, authorities in Taiwan assured that they would be return to their homeland by Dec 19.
More than 90 persons, 70 in Singapore and 22 in Taiwan, were isolated as a precautionary measure, even though they showed no symptoms of the disease. Shih Wen-yi, Taiwan Disease Control Center spokesman, said of the 22 persons quarantined 18 were passengers aboard the Dec. 10 China Airlines flight from Singapore on which the infected researcher also traveled.
The scientist was infected in a military Defence laboratory. The occurrence brings to mind concern for research safety measures: it is likely the scientist had not respected all the anti-epidemic safety norms, as prescribed by the World Health Organization, like wearing gloves and a lab coat.
Meanwhile, the Center for Control and Prevention of Disease based in Nonthaburi (Thailand) announced research findings in which persons are said to be contaminated with the Sars virus even on airplanes, if near infected individuals in whom the disease is still in its symptomatic phase.
The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that persons near an infected patient were at high risk. One experiment found that 22 out of 119 passengers ended up being infected.(SF)