# Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Spreads Worldwide - Author: Joichi Ito - Date: 2003-03-16T05:07:18Z Yesterday, the NYT reported the outbreak of a killer pneumonia in Asia. I was freaking out getting ready to blog about it when the WHO just announced that it has gone global. First the New York Times says it's an Asian thing.New York TimesOutbreak Prompts Travel Warning in Asia By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN with KEITH BRADSHER Hundreds of people in Vietnam, Hong Kong and China have been stricken by a mysterious respiratory illness that has killed at least six people and left all the others with severe breathing difficulties from which they have yet to fully recover, worried officials of the World Health Organization said today.The scary quote from the NYT article was:New York Times"This pathogen is turning out to be a tough thing to pin down," he said. "Nothing is turning up, not a thing."Then the next day, it has gone global...WHODate: 15 Mar 2003 World Health Organization issues emergency travel advisory Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Spreads Worldwide ---------------------- 15 March 2003 | GENEVA -- During the past week, WHO has received reports of more than 150 new suspected cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), an atypical pneumonia for which cause has not yet been determined. Reports to date have been received from Canada, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Early today, an ill passenger and companions who travelled from New York, United States, and who landed in Frankfurt, Germany were removed from their flight and taken to hospital isolation. Due to the spread of SARS to several countries in a short period of time, the World Health Organization today has issued emergency guidance for travellers and airlines.So, what does "emergency guidance" mean? For 155 people on the Singpore Airlines flight it means being quarantined...ReutersSome 155 other passengers who had been due to change planes or stay in Frankfurt were placed in quarantine there, while the remaining 85 passengers and 20 crew on the Singapore Airlines flight continued their journey, German officials said.via IP and Louis. Thanks! --- #### Categories Health and Medicine, SARS