[Analysis on the epidemiological features and the transmission of an imported severe acute respiratory syndrome case in Beijing].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) transmission in the population base on analyzing the first imported case and the chains of transmission.


METHODS
For the first imported SARS case and cases who were transmitted by the index case, epidemiological investigations were conducted using the guidelines for surveillance and case investigation issued by the Ministry of Health. Data as the date of onset of symptoms, date of hospitalization, contact history etc. for each of the cases and their close contacts were collected and analyzed.


RESULTS
The first imported SARS case introduced to Beijing had infected 9 people within the family and at the hospital, with two of whom died of the same disease. The incubation period for that index case was 4 days, and that for the cases considered to be the secondary and tertiary generations were 7 and 8 days, respectively. The shorter the incubation period, the longer the fever would last and clinically more severe.


CONCLUSIONS
One of the epidemiological characteristics of SARS in Beijing was noticed that the disease clustered in families and hospitals. Infection through droplets and close contact has been viewed as the primary mode of transmission.
He
Xiong
X
Beijing Municipal Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Beijing 100013, China.
Shen
Zhuang
Z
Ning
Fang
F
Ding
Li-xin
LX
Teng
Ren-ming
RM
Lin
Chang-ying
CY
Huang
Ruo-gang
RG
Li
Xiao-mei
XM
Liu
Ze-jun
ZJ
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016358:Contact Tracing; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*