HONOLULU -- Governments around the world are scrambling to control a deadly pneumonia.

The state Health Department has been getting advisories about the disease from the Centers For Disease Control since Friday. Health administrators said they don't want anyone to panic, but on the other hand they said Hawaii shouldn't be complacent.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome WHO Info. CDC Info. 888-246-2675 Symptoms Overview high fever cough shortness of breath difficulty breathing hypoxia

More than 150 cases of the infection have been reported in the last week. So far, nine people around the world have died from SARS or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

Thousands of people fly into Hawaii daily from Asia. Because of that state health officials say we need to be vigilant and treat this as a potentially serious matter.

Right now health officials say the only action that can be taken is for doctors and clinics to watch for the illness.

"They need to make sure they get a history of travel exposure and travel exposure among the contacts of the cases they see. And if they suspect at all it might be linked to this outbreak then they need to implement respiratory precautions in the hospital and the CDC is saying at this time even wearing a respirator if one of these cases should appear in a hospital," said Dr. Paul Effler of the Department of Health.

Health officials said patients need not panic. A lot of common bugs cause respiratory infections and even pneumonia.

"In the absence of contact with somebody who has traveled to this area or travel to that area yourself, patients should be reassured its very unlikely their illness would be part of this thus far quite limited outbreak," Effler said.

The Health Department advises if you're sick and you or someone close to you has been to Asia see a doctor.

The CDC is going to start distributing notification cards to travelers to and from Asia, warning if you become ill make sure your doctor knows. And they're setting up a system to track any suspicious illnesses here in Hawaii, something that is not that easy to do.