title: Introduction of SARS in France, March-April, 2003.
abstract: We describe severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in France. Patients meeting the World Health Organization definition of a suspected case underwent a clinical, radiologic, and biologic assessment at the closest university-affiliated infectious disease ward. Suspected cases were immediately reported to the Institut de Veille Sanitaire. Probable case-patients were isolated, their contacts quarantined at home, and were followed for 10 days after exposure. Five probable cases occurred from March through April 2003; four were confirmed as SARS coronavirus by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, serologic testing, or both. The index case-patient (patient A), who had worked in the French hospital of Hanoi, Vietnam, was the most probable source of transmission for the three other confirmed cases; two had been exposed to patient A while on the Hanoi-Paris flight of March 22-23. Timely detection, isolation of probable case-patients, and quarantine of their contacts appear to have been effective in preventing the secondary spread of SARS in France.
authors.affiliation: Département Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint-Maurice, France. jc.desenclos@invs.sante.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Desenclos
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van der Werf
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonmarin
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Levy-Bruhl
authors.forename: Yazdan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazdanpanah
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoen
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Emmanuelli
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lesens
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dupon
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Natali
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michelet
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reynes
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guery
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Semaille
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mouton
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Escriou
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burguière
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Manuguerra
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coignard
authors.forename: Agnés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lepoutre
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meffre
authors.forename: Dounia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bitar
authors.forename: Bénédicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Decludt
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Capek
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antona
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Che
authors.forename: Magid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herida
authors.forename: Andréa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Infuso
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sauri
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brücker
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hubert
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: LeGoff
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scheidegger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D014195:Travel; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology