Epidemiologic linkage and public health implication of a cluster of severe acute respiratory syndrome in an extended family.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is highly contagious. Mandatory home confinement of 10 days has generally been recommended to quarantine close contacts of SARS cases. We report the epidemiologic linkage of SARS within an extended family. The estimated incubation period was beyond 10 days in some of the affected members. One child was identified as the source of SARS transmission to another household.