 Overview
Early in 2003, a previously
unknown, but highly communicable
disease was reported in Asia.
First identified as atypical
pneumonia, it became known
as Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS). By July 2003,
more than thirty countries
worldwide had reported cases
of SARS. Most of us do not
remember the exact moment that
we heard about this new, potentially
fatal disease, but the public
health leaders of Toronto remember
the day, time, and where they
were.
Toronto, in the Ontario
province of Canada, suffered
the worst outbreak outside
of Asia. Because it is a city
known for its diversity, it
is not surprising that SARS
was spread to Toronto by an
international traveler. It
is precisely this aspect of
the outbreak that makes all
communities vulnerable and
emphasizes the need for increased
surveillance, communication,
and preparedness. Join us as
we discuss the tremendous efforts
of Canada's public health professionals,
health care workers, and civic
leaders to contain the outbreak
and protect the health of their
citizens now and in the future.
Objectives
- Identify
the basic components of the
public health response
to suspected SARS cases in
a community.
- Describe
the disease reporting process
when SARS is diagnosed
in a community.
- Describe
three strategies used to
prevent the spread
of SARS and similar communicable
diseases.
- Identify
three issues that should
be considered
in a SARS preparedness plan.
Audience
Public health
leaders and professionals from local and state government agencies,
hospitals, clinics, boards of health, community-based health
organizations, academic institutions, federal agencies, and others
who seek to learn lessons from the 2003 SARS outbreak response
and prepare for future disease outbreaks.
Continuing Education Credit
Continuing education credit is available for the archived
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about CE credit.
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