SARS a low threat to ADF

The symptoms

High fever, and one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and one or more of the following: travel within 10 days of onset of symptoms to an area in which there are reported cases of SARS Close contact within 10 days of onset of symptoms with a person diagnosed with SARS Note: Close contact is defined as having cared for, having lived with, or having direct contact with respiratory secretions and/or body fluids of a person with SARS

Information resources

Defence Health Services web site - www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dhs/ SARS-affected areas – www.who.int Local public health units in Australia – www.health.gov.au or 1800 004 599 Travel advisory – www.dfat.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/TravelBulletins

By CPL Jonathan Garland

DEFENCE has moved to address concerns about the effect of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on members and their families with the release of a Defgram offering advice about the international epidemic.

Director-General Defence Health Service Air Commodore Tony Austin said the disease represented a very low threat to the ADF.

“While the disease is potentially fatal to a small portion of the Australian population – the elderly, infirm or chronically ill – it does not at this stage appear to represent a threat to otherwise healthy individuals,” he said. “All evidence suggests SARS is not easily spread within the community – it is a low threat to the average Australian and commonsense measures will offer significant protection.”

He said Defence had embraced central recommendations from the Department of Health and Ageing on the SARS epidemic.

“We are assessing the situation daily and if the situation or the requirements of the ADF were to change, we would immediately review our guidelines.”

Recommendations outlined in the Defgram include:

• strong recommendation against private or recreational travel to or through Singapore, Canada (Toronto), Hong Kong, Vietnam and China (particularly Beijing and Guangdong province);
  
• postpone non-essential duty travel to or through these countries;
  
• personnel and families on postings in affected regions take precautions to avoid exposure;
  
• report any illness with SARS symptoms immediately to medical staff;
  
• international travellers wear surgical masks near people displaying respiratory symptoms (cough, sneeze etc); and
  
• meticulous personal hygiene, including effective hand washing with detergents.
  

AirCdre Austin said the Defence Health Service was part of, and had a good relationship with, the Communicable Disease Network of Australia, a group of Commonwealth and State health specialists.

“That group, which formerly met weekly, is now meeting on a daily basis to review the situation overseas, look at suspected cases in Australia and reassess the guidelines for prevention and treatment that are released to the public,” he said.

“When SARS was first detected overseas, a working group assessed the level of risk to Australians and came up with guidelines for case detection and management of victims. With only four suspected cases and no fatalities in Australia, those interventions have been very effective.”

AirCdre Austin said the Defence response had been conservative, erring on the side of caution, and had been entirely in keeping with the recommendation of specialists in Australia and internationally.

“This is a new condition of which we have poor initial understanding, has spread widely throughout the world and has a potentially fatal outcome, so clearly we have to take it seriously,” he said. “It is important that the measures we put in place are reasonable, practical and do not result in unnecessary fear or anxiety on the part of the population or curtail our ability to do our job.”

For more information visit www.defence.gov.au/dpe/dhs

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