Australia was indeed the “lucky country” in the recent worldwide SARS epidemic

Marianne E Jauncey,* Paul K Armstrong,† Emily L Morgan,‡ Jeremy M McAnulty§

NSW Public Health Officer, Public Health Training and Development Branch; † Medical Epidemiologist, § Director, Communicable Diseases Branch; NSW Health, North Sydney, NSW. ‡ General Practitioner, Ballina West Medical Centre, Ballina, NSW. Marianne.jauncey@yahoo.com.au

to the editor: In 2003, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) became the first pandemic of the 21st century. Despite spreading to 29 countries, a rapid and coordinated international effort led to its containment. Here, we examine Australia's only laboratory‐confirmed case, and the investigation of possible subsequent transmission.

In June 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) notified Australian health authorities of a 26‐year‐old tourist in whom SARS‐coronavirus‐specific antibodies had recently been detected. She was part of a retrospective serological survey of people who stayed at the Hotel Metropole, Hong Kong, on 21 February, ¹ the same time a SARS source case infected at least 14 other hotel guests. ² On 22 February, the 26‐year‐old tourist travelled to Australia and 4 days later developed myalgia, lethargy and cough. On 6 March, 6 days before the first WHO global alert on SARS, she saw a general practitioner (GP) in northern New South Wales, to whom she also reported nausea, vomiting, nocturnal fever and pronounced lethargy. On examination she was afebrile, pale, unwell, with a cough and clear chest on auscultation. She declined further investigations and hospital admission; her condition gradually improved, and she left Australia 6 days later. She reported close contact with only three people during her Australian visit — her partner, the GP, and the GP's surgery nurse. None reported subsequent illness and all tested negative for SARS‐coronavirus antibody by direct immunofluorescence, a highly sensitive and specific method. ³ Australia was fortunate that the tourist was not particularly infectious. The Hotel Metropole case was identified as the source case for four national and international clusters of SARS. ² The resulting human and economic cost was substantial. ⁴

Without specific treatments, basic public health measures proved the only effective means to contain SARS. These included rapid case detection and isolation, contact tracing, handwashing and the correct use of personal protective equipment. ⁵ Many GP practices and some hospitals in Australia do not have isolation facilities or infection control resources to effectively contain diseases like SARS. In the event of local transmission of SARS, infection may well have occurred in Australian healthcare workers.

In the wake of SARS and, more recently, avian influenza, GPs must develop infection control plans to protect their own health as well as that of their patients. These should include obtaining a history of travel to outbreak‐affected areas, reserving an area for patient isolation, and using appropriate infection control precautions during such outbreaks. Clinicians in other healthcare settings also need to review current infection control practices. If Australia is to remain the “lucky country” with regard to communicable diseases, basic public health measures aimed at preventing transmission of infection in healthcare settings is essential.

Acknowledgements

We thank the Australian Department of Health and Ageing for their role in the notification process of this case, and the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, for SARS coronavirus antibody testing.