State health officials rule out SARS in Lubec woman’s death

LUBEC – The death of a 52-year-old local woman was not the result of the SARS virus, according to a town official.

Juanita Pike died Saturday night and emergency crews who went to her home took precautions just in case she had the infectious disease, according to Lubec Fire Chief Dallas Hood.

“The crew took precautions and treated it as if it was SARS,” Hood said Sunday. “It turned out it was not. The public does not need to panic.”

The couple had been traveling overseas and reportedly had returned to Lubec on Thursday.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Pike’s body on Sunday and notified Hood that the death was not SARS-related. The results of the autopsy, however, are still pending. The official results likely will not be available until Wednesday, because of the holiday and a state “off-day” on Tuesday, according to a representative at the medical examiner’s office.

Pike’s husband, Davis, was taken to the Down East Medical Center in Machias where his symptoms were diagnosed as a common cold, Hood said.

Word spread quickly through the town, however, and concerned residents began calling the chief. Hood said he had received 96 calls during the day on Sunday.