The World Health Organisation today said "surveillance" measures taken by Malaysian authorities to check o­n possible cases of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have so far been effective but cautioned that authorities must continue to remain vigilant in tracking developments.

WHO Acting Representative for Malaysia Joel Vanderburg said Malaysia is fortunate that no residents here have been found to have contracted the viral disease.

"The health authorities understands that they are dealing with a big issue. They have put in place good surveillance (mechanisms) and emphasised public education (on SARS). However, there are no assurances that there will be no new cases tomorrow or after that," he said when contacted today.

Not all infected

Cases of SARS infection were first reported in Hanoi, Vietnam and Hong Kong after a traveller from China visited both countries.

The disease has since spread to thirteen countries worldwide, with the highest number of reported cases in China's Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

According to Vanderburg, the spread of the infection has been contained in some of the countries with reported cases because of effective control measures.

"We do not have any information o­n treatment of the disease but o­nly of the symptoms. (Health officials) have to let the disease take its course and try to make the patients as comfortable as possible.

"There are also some indications that most of the ill individuals are those with other conditions. So there is strong suggestion that the people most at risk are those already weakened (with other illnesses)," he said.

Asked if medical researchers have determined if the disease is airborne, he said that this is still uncertain but available information has suggested that individuals could be infected via close contact with SARS sufferers.

"Health personnel have been coming down with (SARS) because they may have touched patients. There are indications too that the disease has spread to individuals at very close contact via sneezing or coughing. But there are other people in the same airplanes or rooms who have not caught the disease," he explained.

In addition, he said that protective devices such as surgical masks may be effective to an extent as they are able to filter out some droplets or aerosols from infected individuals.

Hospitals prepared

With regards to travel, Vanderburg said WHO does not issue any recommendations that air travel be curtailed or for countries to stop their residents travelling.

"It is up to each and every country to decide how to approach this matter. They must decide based o­n their own individual circumstances. Some governments may decide to take very strong measures and it all goes back to (putting in place) a good surveillance system," he said.

A medical officer at the health ministry's Disease Control Division operations centre said a key indicator that health officials would look out for in checking suspected cases is the history of travel of the individual.

"We also look at the symptoms which are similar to those in flu cases. We look if the person has high fever at body temperatures above 38.5 degrees Celcius. This could be quite rapid, as early as the second day of infection," said the officer who declined to be identified.

The officer said all hospitals in the country have prepared for any suspected cases, some measures including the setting up of nursing barriers, and provision of masks to health workers.

Another health industry representative, Malayan Nurses Union general secretary Anne Khoo Kim See, told malaysiakini that the health ministry had earlier issued precautions to health workers o­n the SARS infection.

"We follow WHO guidelines which are normal universal standards for cases which involve (patient) isolation and they apply to everyone working in the industry," she said.

No cases o­n board

Meanwhile, Immigration Department press relations officer Ahmad Shukri Abdul Majid said health department representatives are already based at airports to handle any eventuality.

However, he said it is uncertain if any officials are based at land crossings, such as the high traffic Johor-Singapore links.

Health Department director-general Mohamad Taha Arif was unavailable for comment, although he is expected to issue an update o­n the disease tomorrow.

In an earlier media statement, Malaysia Airlines said additional precautionary measures have been implemented for all flight services to and from places where SARS cases have been reported.

"The airline will carry o­n board the appropriate protective masks as stipulated by the Ministry of Health. These masks will be provided to passengers who display flu-like symptoms.

"Should passengers develop such symptoms o­n board, the airline will alert the destination airport so that appropriate medical provision is available upon touchdown," said the notice dated March 17.

Contacted today, MAS' head of Media Relations Unit Jacqui Chang said there has been no official record of suspected SARS cases since a global alert was issued earlier this month.

The last update o­n the SARS issue was made o­n Monday by Health Minister Chua Jui Meng who said the ministry had screened 27 cases with symptoms similar to SARS but all cases were ruled out under the guidelines provided by WHO.

According to statistics o­n the WHO website, a total of three cases have been recorded in neighbouring Thailand while 74 cases, including o­ne death, have been recorded in Singapore.

Over 700 people have also been quarantined in Singapore o­n suspicion that they may have come into contact with the disease.