Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an atypical pneumonia that first appeared in late 2002. Tests for known viruses and bacteria have been negative, and the cause of the disease remains unknown. It is probably transmitted through droplets from coughing or sneezing.
In November 2002 there was an outbreak of what may be the same or a related disease in the Guangdong province of China. This outbreak peaked in mid-February, and of the 305 people infected, 5 died.
At the end of February, an American businessman living in Shanghai travelled via Hong Kong to Hanoi, Vietnam, where he got sick and infected 30 hospital workers. He was returned to Hong Kong and died. In an outbreak in the Hong Kong public Prince of Wales Hospital in March, 40 hospital workers were infected. As of March 16, 2003, in addition to the 305 Guangdong cases, more than 150 worldwide suspected cases (in Hong Kong, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Canada and Germany) and 4 fatalities were reported. Two of the infected people had just visited the United States.
On March 12, the World Health Organization issued a global alert, followed by a health alert by the CDC on March 15. WHO recommends that suspected cases be treated in isolation, and defined a suspected case as a person presenting after 1 February 2003 with history of:
- high fever (>38° C)
- one or more respiratory symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
- and one or more of the following:
- close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with SARS
- recent history of travel to areas reporting cases of SARS
In addition to fever and respiratory symptoms, SARS may be associated with other symptoms including: headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash, and diarrhea. The count of white blood cells and platelets is often low. Symptoms usually appear 2-7 days after infection. In severe cases, patients have to be put on a ventilator.
| WHO Cases through 18.03.03 | ||
| Country | Cases | Deaths |
| Canada | 8 | 2 |
| Germany | 2 | 0 |
| Hong Kong | 123 | 1 |
| Singapore | 23 | 0 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 0 |
| Taiwan | 3 | 0 |
| Thailand | 1 | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 0 |
| Viet Nam | 57 | 1 |
| Total | 219 | 4 |
External links and references
- "WHO issues a global alert about cases of atypical pneumonia", World Health Organization, press release, March 12, 2003.
- "World Health Organization issues emergency travel advisory", World Health Organization, press release, March 15, 2003.
- "WHO coordinates international effort to identify and treat SARS", World Health Organization, note for the press, March 17, 2003.