Suspected U.S. Cases Of Mystery Illness Rise
Travelers To Asia Make Up Suspected Cases
Updated: 12:42 p.m. EST March 21, 2003
More Americans are suspected of having a mysterious illness that is stumping medical experts around the world.
Overview
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All About SARS
How SARS WorksNew cases are also suspected in Los Angeles County and the state of Colorado, but officials haven't made official reports yet.
Federal officials have increased the number of suspected U.S. cases from 11 to 13 -- and that number could rise.
The people suspected of having the illness have recently traveled to Asia, where it apparently broke out. The CDC passed out about 12,000 advisory notices to airline passengers returning from the area, warning them of SARS.
As of Thursday, the World Health Organization reported that the worldwide count of SARS cases totaled 306, with 10 deaths. Most are in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.
Hong Kong officials closed a school Friday and said three others will be disinfected over the weekend, Reuters reported.
Health chief Yeoh Eng-Kiong said six children were now infected in the territory, up from five on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Some officials believe the mystery bug is part of a class of virus that includes the measles and mumps.
On Thursday, news agencies reported that the illness seems to have started spreading in a Hong Kong hotel.
Health officials say it spread from one guest, a visiting professor from China, to other guests. The virus traveled to a Hong Kong hospital as well as Singapore and Canada. Three of seven people who stayed on the hotel's ninth floor died from the illness.
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