Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Karen Shaw & Babatunde Olowokure

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a severe atypical pneumonia resulting from infection with a novel coronavirus, the SARS coronavirus (SARSCoV). SARS is thought to have first occurred in humans in Guangdong province, China, in November 2002. International recognition of SARS occurred in March 2003 after many persons infected at a Hong Kong hotel seeded outbreaks of SARS in several countries and areas within days of each other. On March 12, 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert regarding an acute respiratory syndrome of unknown aetiology and 3 days later issued an emergency travel advisory. By July 2003, cases of SARS had been identified in 29 countries and areas on most continents resulting in at least 774 deaths and 8,096 probable cases of SARS reported to the WHO. Global collaboration, coordinated by the WHO, was vital for the rapid identification of the causative agent, and prompt detection ...

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