Epidemiologist says SARS is not a threat in Iowa

Been wondering about the newest disease to make the world news? SARS, or severe acute respiratory virus, is nothing like West Nile, and Iowa’s chief epidemiologist says it’s not something you need to worry about, even though it’s claimed some lives. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk says some people have died, but most who got it are recovering, and your only concern need be if you come down with a bad respiratory illness AND you’ve recently been to Hong Kong, Singapore or Vietnam. SARS apparently began in Asia, where yearly waves of influenza often originate, but Dr Quinlisk says there hasn’t been a single case in Iowa. She says there have only been a total of about 300 cases in the world, and the chances of anyone even having it are very low.