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CDC chief: Vigilance needed to contain SARS
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- New developments show SARS is more resilient than first thought, scientists say. The World Health Organization has released new research that shows SARS can live for days in human waste. Another study found that SARS stayed alive on chilled plastic surfaces for four days. CNN Anchor Bill Hemmer spoke Monday with Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about the findings and what they may mean in efforts to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome. HEMMER: Based on the information you're hearing about [SARS] surviving inside of human beings and surviving on plastic, how does that change your approach to this disease? GERBERDING: Well, you know, this is another step forward in our understanding of the virus. But we had some concerns about this from Day One, and that's why we've put such an emphasis on hand-washing and maintaining the proper hygiene in the hospital and in the home. HEMMER: If it is true that it can survive on plastic, does that make these masks that people are wearing worthless? GERBERDING: No. That's apples and oranges here. The masks really prevent the dissemination of droplets of infectious material from one person to another. They should be discarded when they're over being used. But the main thing here, I think, is that common sense practices to prevent disease transmission like hand-washing are probably very important with the coronavirus as well. HEMMER: A good thing to learn and a good thing to reiterate, too. Doctor, what's the current status for SARS in the U.S.? GERBERDING: Well, in the United States, we have a total of about 319 suspected cases or probable cases. Of those, about 62 meet the [World Health Organization's] definition for the pneumonia [of the SARS virus]. But we expect to continue to see these cases come in until the problem is really contained in China and Hong Kong and Taiwan. So we're still casting a big net, and we're doing everything we can to contain the problem here in the States. HEMMER: Doctor, another report came out over the weekend indicating that SARS has mutated into two different forms. If that is true, what challenge could that present? GERBERDING: You know, I think it's a little bit incorrect to use the word mutated. We expect this virus to evolve as we go forward, and right now there's no correlation between the new strains and the status of the disease. So we've got a lot of work to do before we can really make any sense out of that. HEMMER: What do you want [the public] to know? ... Knowing that it has not been on the forefront of people's minds for the past week or so, what should we know right now about the word you're getting out of Hong Kong, and what it might take to contain and kill this? GERBERDING: Well, I think the picture in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan is very sobering. It tells us that if we have any weak link in the system, this virus very quickly can get out of control. That's why we are continuing to take all the steps necessary in this country to detect new cases and to isolate them in the hospital or the home until the period of contagion has passed. The good news is that we can contain this virus if we maintain that vigilance. And I think if we work very hard in Asia, we'll be able to bring it under some containment there also. HEMMER: Is it still wise, knowing that we do not know a whole lot about SARS, to pursue a vaccine? GERBERDING: It's very important that we pursue a vaccine. Even if we're lucky enough to contain this episode, these viruses are probably here with us to stay.
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