By Soh Ji-young
Staff Reporter

Following the discovery of a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) case in Taiwan, the government on Thursday issued a SARS advisory and began inspecting people coming in from the affected country to check for possible symptoms of the disease.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) said that it has decided to check the temperatures of travelers entering the country from Taiwan for fever symptoms. About 1,200 come into South Korea from the country on a daily basis.

On Wednesday, a 44-year-old medical researcher was diagnosed with the SARS virus, becoming Taiwan’s first SARS patient for this season after the SARS epidemic was contained in July.

The NIH said that the virus is not yet showing signs of spreading, as those who came into contact with the Taiwanese researcher have not reported any SARS symptoms.

Health officials said that they will continue to check the health conditions of Taiwanese travelers throughout the 10-day incubation period of the disease as a precaution.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare had worked on a set of SARS guidelines in September to enhance efficiency of quarantine measures in case of a SARS outbreak.

Once a SARS case erupts overseas, the ministry will post a SARS advisory to inspect inbound travelers from SARS-affected areas. The level goes up to a SARS alert when a SARS case occurs in the country and a SARS emergency is issued when local transmission of the disease is reported.

Health-Welfare Minister Kim Hwa-joong reassured citizens that the ministry has set up an effective surveillance system to monitor various respiratory diseases that are spreading concern among the public, such as SARS, the type-A Fujian influenza virus and the deadly bird flu.

jysoh@koreatimes.co.kr