Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a new respiratory illness due to a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV. Cases of SARS were first identified from Guangdong Province in southern China in November 2002. Over the next several months, international travel allowed for the rapid spread of >8,000 cases over three continents. The economic and psychological impact of this mysterious illness was profound. In order to better educate the public about this emerging infectious disease, we describe the characteristics of SARS-CoV and review the epidemiology, clinical presentation, laboratory, radiographic and histopathological features, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and infection control issues pertaining to SARS. While a significant amount of information about this disease has been gained in a brief period of time, details regarding the origin of SARS-CoV, its stability in the environment and in human body fluids, and whether it has become established in humans remain unknown.