Statement By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister Of State For Health, Singapore To WPRO In Manila On The Sars Case In Singapore

11 Sep 2003

By Dr Balaji Sadasivan

There has been much interest in the recent case of a person testing positive for SARS in Singapore. I would like to update delegates about this case.

The patient is a 27-year old male with no recent travel history to any other country. On 23 August 2003, the patient who is a research post-doctoral student working in the area of West Nile fever, visited a lab in Singapore where SARS research is conducted. He developed fever on 27 August 2003 and was admitted and isolated on 3 September 2003. His fever has subsided and he is well. All his contacts are well. He did not develop atypical pneumonia and so does not meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of SARS. However his PCR and serology tests are positive for SARS coronavirus. We are repeating these tests. The original specimens that tested positive have been sent to CDC (USA) for repeat testing.

Although this patient did not develop clinical SARS, his positive tests suggest that he may have been exposed to the SARS coronavirus. We are taking this seriously and have temporarily closed the two research labs where the patient worked. We are reviewing all the safety procedures at our labs. We have requested assistance from WHO for experts to investigate and review our biosafety procedures at the two laboratories. WHO will be sending two experts (an Australian and a Japanese expert) to assist in the investigation and review.

We believe that this is an isolated case of exposure to the SARS virus and that the public health risk is very low. There is no person-to-person transmission of SARS. We do not consider the positive result for SARS in this patient as an outbreak of SARS. Research on the SARS virus is necessary if we want to improve our diagnosis, treatment and prevention of SARS and other biological threats. Because of the research efforts on the SARS virus in Singapore, the genome of the SARS virus was identified. SARS diagnostic kits were also developed and these kits were used in several countries during the last SARS outbreak. Singapore will be vigilant and ensure that the highest biosafety standards are maintained at research laboratories working on the SARS virus.

Manila

11 September 2003