Hong Kong. As of March 25, the Hong Kong Department of Health (DH) reported 290 suspected and probable SARS cases. Beginning on March 11, an increase in acute pneumonia cases among health-care workers (HCWs) at hospital 1 in Hong Kong was reported to DH. Epidemiologic investigation has linked these cases to an index patient (Patient J) who visited a friend in hotel M in late February, became ill a few days later, and was admitted to hospital 1 on March 4 (Figure 1). Patient J visited hotel M while patient A, an ill visitor from Guangdong province, was staying there.

As of March 25, a cluster of 13 persons with suspected/probable SARS are known to have stayed at hotel M (Figure 1). The index patient (patient A) had onset of symptoms on February 15. He traveled from Guangdong province to Hong Kong to visit family and stayed on the ninth floor of the hotel on February 21. He was admitted to hospital 2 on February 22 and died the next day. Four HCWs and two of his family members subsequently became ill; one family member died. Of the 12 other patients linked to hotel M, 10 were in the hotel the same day as the index patient; the other two patients (patients L and M) stayed in the hotel during the time that three other symptomatic patients were guests in the hotel. Nine of the 13 patients, including patient A, stayed on the ninth floor; one stayed on the 14th floor; one stayed on the 11th floor; and two stayed on both the ninth and 14th floors.