Iqaluit (Apr 22/03) - A visiting physician placed himself under volunteer quarantine Tuesday after showing some signs of SARS.

The doctor, according to the Department of Health, had worked at a Toronto health facility that had investigated suspected cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

Nunavut Health Minister Ed Picco said the department is being proactive in this case and doesn't believe there is a risk of the doctor having SARS.

He added that the patients the doctor has seen in Iqaluit are under investigation and are also being isolated.

"The risk is extremely low. He has had no contact with probable, or, suspected cases of SARS," said Dr. Geraldine Osborne, Nunavut's chief medical officer of health.

She added that while the doctor had some flu-like symptoms, not all were consistent with SARS cases.

Osborne said the lack of fever is one factor that is leading them to believe he does not have SARS.

However, the doctor, who was not identified, will be monitored in case further symptoms develop.

As he was not symptomatic until Monday Osborne said there is little risk he could have passed the virus to people he may have travelled to Iqaluit with via airplane.

Picco was questioned about the logic in bringing a physician to Iqaluit who had been working in a facility that had come into contact with SARS.

He said none of the patients at that facility who were being treated as suspected or probable SARS cases were his patients. He said there was no reason to believe the physician had the virus.

"Under the guidelines set out by Health Canada, the situation would not normally merit attention," said Osborne.

She added that the nature of public sensitivity towards SARS dictated that public be kept informed. Usually only probable and suspected cases of SARS are reported, investigated cases are not.

"In any other jurisdiction there wouldn't be a press conference today," she said.

On a high note Osborne said the incident was a good opportunity to test the departments responsiveness to a situation involving potential SARS. This is the first investigation of SARS in Nunavut, said Osborne.