By Cam McGrath
CAIRO, May 7 2003 (IPS)

Egypt is officially SARS-free, and the government is taking elaborate measures to keep it that way.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which has killed about 460 people and infected 6,600 worldwide, is a new virus that causes flu-like symptoms and severe respiratory problems. There is no known cure for the contagious disease, which has led to death in six per cent of cases.

Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, has launched a three-pronged programme to keep the deadly disease out, and to prevent it spreading if it manages to slip through, under-secretary for preventative diseases Dr. El- Sayed Ali Ohn told IPS. The programme includes control measures at ports of entry, enhanced surveillance in hospitals and a public awareness campaign.

Travellers arriving at Egypt’s 31 ports of entry are subject to mandatory medical checks. Quarantine areas have been allocated for passengers who display SARS symptoms such as dizziness, coughing or fever.

Doctors wearing protective masks and latex gloves selectively screen arriving passengers using electronic thermometers and a judicious assessment of information from passengers and crew.

At Cairo International Airport, which handles 60 per cent of air traffic, arriving passengers must clear a medical stand before reaching the immigration hall.

"We have been provided the latest equipment to detect carriers of the disease and it does not carry the infection from one passenger to another," state-owned newspaper Al-Akhbar quoted Dr. Hassan Shaaban, quarantine manager at Cairo airport as saying.

Passengers have been cooperating with airport officials, with some rare exceptions. An Egyptian woman returning from Beirut who refused to let doctors screen her was detained until she complied with procedures.

In another case, two passengers arriving from Tokyo en route to Ghana showed signs of fever. Medical officers quarantined them at the airport until it was established that they were not SARS carriers.

Egyptian authorities are also strengthening surveillance at hospitals to identify SARS patients, says Ohn. Isolation units with hundreds of beds are ready in 110 hospitals. The facilities can be increased.

"We have about 500 mechanical respirators at government hospitals, and there are more at private hospitals," Ohn says, adding that large amounts of the medicines commonly used to treat SARS are in stock.

The health ministry launched an ad campaign last month to explain the dangers of SARS. The ads list symptoms and ask people to report suspected cases to health officials.

More importantly, says Ohn, they urge people to alter social habits and take more care of personal hygiene to prevent any spread of the disease.

Convincing Egyptians to give up deep-rooted social customs may be the biggest challenge to the campaign. Carpenter Hani Youssef says that despite the dangers of transmission of the disease it would be impossible for him forgo the Egyptian tradition of shaking hands with everyone in the room and kissing his male friends on each cheek when greeting them.

"It would offend them if I didn’t do it," he says. "Egyptians would rather put their faith in God than risk offending a friend or relative."

Despite the media campaign, many Egyptians are unaware of the dangers from SARS. Some believe it is spread only through contact with Chinese people, others claim it is a U.S.-manufactured biological weapon.

"The U.S. unleashed it on China to destroy its economy and on Canada because it refused to back Bush in Iraq," says shop clerk Ahmed El-Sayed. No deaths have been reported in the U.S., he said.

Independent observers at the World Health Organisation (WHO) say they are satisfied with the measures Egypt is taking and see no indication of any cover up.

"Egypt is taking this very seriously and is doing even more than WHO guidelines require," says Dr. Nadia Taleb of the WHO’s Department of Communicable Diseases and Epidemics. "Health officials are being very honest. We have our own intelligence network to verify rumours and follow up on any suspected cases."

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