Interim Travel Advisory: Hong Kong
(Updated May 8, 2003, 12:30 PM ET; Released March 13, 2003)

            
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to investigate cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The number of cases of SARS is subject to change as surveillance increases and cases are identified and confirmed. The current case count for the United States can be found at this web site. The case count for cases outside the USA can be found at this site. Cases in travelers have been epidemiologically linked to travel to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.

CDC issues two types of notices to travelers: alerts and advisories. CDC has issued a travel advisory for mainland Hong Kong advising people planning elective or nonessential travel to Hong Kong may wish to postpone their trips until further notice.

SARS outbreaks appear to primarily involve health-care workers and close family contacts of suspect cases. Health authorities are on the alert for people who have specific symptoms of respiratory illness. The case definition for suspected SARS is subject to change, particularly with regard to travel history, as illness is reported in other geographic areas. The most current U.S. definition can be accessed at the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) case definition web page.

CDC is distributing health alert notices about SARS to people traveling to the United States from Hong Kong. Travelers to Hong Kong should monitor their health while there and for at least 10 days after departure from Hong Kong. If fever or respiratory symptoms (for example, cough or shortness of breath) develop, a visit to a health-care provider is strongly recommended. The provider should be informed about the symptoms in advance so arrangements can be made, if necessary, to prevent transmission to others in the health-care setting (see Updated Interim Domestic Guidelines for Triage and Disposition of Patients Who May Have SARS)

When potential cases of SARS are identified on a conveyance, officials should:

• Notify at the earliest possible time the nearest U.S. Public Health Service Quarantine Station.
• Alert the destination port of any passengers meeting the above criteria.
• Refer all arriving passengers who are symptomatic to health authorities for assessment and care.
• Inform passengers and crew that there is/was a suspect case of SARS on board.
• The passengers and crew should provide all their contact information for the subsequent 14 days to the port health authorities.

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has authorized the departure, on a voluntary basis, of non-emergency employees and all family members at the U.S. Consulate General in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer non-emergency travel to the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong at this time. The full text of this announcement is available on the State Department website.

Because of limitations in medical evacuation services for SARS patients, travelers and resident expatriates should continue to monitor the U.S. Department of State website for updates on availability of medical services and medical evacuations in Hong Kong. See this website for more information.

For information about infection control in health-care and community settings, see these websites:

• http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/infectioncontrol.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/isolat/isolat.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/guide/infectcont98.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/aerosolinfectioncontrol.htm

SARS updates will be posted as information becomes available.

Additional information on the outbreaks can be found at the following websites:

• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
• http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html
• http://www.who.int/csr/sars/en/

For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/ or call the CDC public response hotline at (888) 246-2675 (English), (888) 246-2857 (Español), or (866) 874-2646 (TTY)