Dear Colleagues,

I am aware that many of you are concerned about the presence of a certain number of SARS cases in Canada. You will find below a transcription of the SARS advisory published by Health Canada, which I believe is more accurate than what we hear in the medias. The important statement has been highlighted in bold.

No case has been related to a transit in a canadian airport, or to airport personnel. There are also no case reported in Montreal, or in the province of Quebec.

I have myself transited at the Toronto airport last Sunday. What I have seen at the Toronto airport is that the few passengers coming from the Far East are required to wear masks. The planes are also desinfected before each flight. I think that these measures insure a complete safety for the passengers.

I hope the SARS situation will not prevent you to attend this very exciting conference.

Best regards,
Jean-Pierre Martin
University of Montreal
Chairman, RT2003 conference.

HEALTH CANADA :

2003-11
April 7, 2003
4:30 pm
Advisory
Update #23 - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

NEW IN THIS UPDATE:

Latest Canadian Numbers on SARS

As of April 7, 2003, Health Canada has received reports of 226 probable or suspect cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Canada. There have been 10 deaths in Canada. To date, all Canadian cases have occurred in persons who have travelled to Asia or had contact with SARS cases in the household or in a health-care setting. The information contained in this update is based on the best available information Health Canada has at this time.

The details of the cases to date are as follows: