SARS is a respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus
called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are a
common cause of upper respiratory illnesses -including the
common cold -in humans and cause a number of diseases in
animals.
The first reported case of SARS surfaced in China in November
2002. Since then, the virus has been reported in other parts of
Asia (Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand), North
America (the United States and Canada) and Europe. As of June 2003,
more than 8,400 people have been diagnosed with the illness
worldwide and around 800 of these people have died -or about
10 percent of those who contract the illness. In the United States,
fewer than 100 people have been diagnosed with the illness, and no
person has died. At this point, the extent to which this illness
can further spread remains uncertain. The number of cases globally
and in the United States fell quickly and to date have not
reappeared. Health officials continue to track the illness
globally.
What are the symptoms of SARS?
To meet the diagnosis of SARS, a person must have:
- A temperature greater than 100.4 degrees
- One or more symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough,
shortness of breath, difficulty breathing or hypoxia (less than the
normal level of oxygen in the blood), or x-ray evidence of
pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. These symptoms
develop 2 to 7 days after initial symptoms, which include headache,
body aches and a general feeling of discomfort.
- Traveled (including transit in an airport) within the last 10
days to mainland China; Hong Kong; Hanoi, Vietnam; Singapore;
Taiwan; or Toronto, Canada, or come in close contact within the
last 10 days with someone who has traveled to one of those areas
who has been diagnosed with SARS, or who has been in close contact
with someone with SARS.
- Laboratory evidence of SARS (detection of SARS-associated
coronavirus and/or antibodies to SARS-associated coronavirus)
How does a person get SARS?
Health experts believe that the most common way people get SARS
is through direct contact with infectious material (for example,
respiratory secretions) from an infected person. Potential ways in
which SARS can be spread include touching the skin of other people
or objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets from a
cough or sneeze of a SARS-infected person. It is possible that SARS
can be spread more broadly through the air or by other ways that
are not currently known.