Severe acute respiratory syndrome
hideSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS; pronounced /sɑrz/, sarz) is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). There has been one near pandemic to date, between the months of November 2002 and July 2003, with 8,096 known infected cases and 774 deaths (a case-fatality rate of 9.6%) worldwide being listed in the World Health Organization's (WHO) 21 April 2004 concluding report. Within a matter of weeks in early 2003, SARS spread from the Guangdong province of China to rapidly infect individuals in some 37 countries around the world.
Mortality by age group as of 8 May 2003 is below 1% for people aged 24 or younger, 6% for those 25 to 44, 15% in those 45 to 64 and more than 50% for those over 65. For comparison, the case fatality rate for influenza is usually around 0.6% (primarily among the elderly) but can rise as high as 33% in locally severe epidemics of new strains. The mortality rate of the primary viral pneumonia form is about 70%.
As of May 2006[update], the spread of SARS has been fully contained thanks to the efforts of the WHO, with the last infected human case seen in June 2003 (disregarding a laboratory induced infection case in 2004). However, SARS is not claimed to have been eradicated (unlike smallpox), as it may still be present in its natural host reservoirs (animal populations) and may potentially return into the human population in the future.
For more information about Severe acute respiratory syndrome, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with sars
Two-pronged protein attack could be source of SARS virulence
Oct 29, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
Ever since the previously unknown SARS virus emerged from southern China in 2003, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston virologists have focused on finding the source of the pathogen's virulence — its ability to ...
Should noninvasive ventilation be considered a high-risk procedure during an epidemic?
Oct 13, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Contrary to current policies recommending that non-invasive ventilation be avoided during an infectious outbreak, the author of a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) argues that it should be used exped ...
Preventing spread of infectious diseases is everyone's responsibility
Jun 17, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
1
According to a report published today, we must all share responsibility for preventing the spread of diseases such as swine flu, SARS, avian influenza, diarrhoeal and skin diseases, and even the common cold.
A quicker, cheaper SARS virus detector -- one easily customizable for other targets
May 29, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
1
Members of a USC-led research team say they've made a big improvement in a new breed of electronic detectors for viruses and other biological materials — one that may be a valuable addition to the battle against ...
Protein from algae shows promise for stopping SARS
May 20, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A protein from algae may have what it takes to stop Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) infections, according to new research. A recent study has found that mice treated with the protein, Griffithsin (GRFT), had a 100 ...
Russians quarantined after Chinese woman dies on train
Apr 15, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
0
Russian authorities on Wednesday evacuated 53 passengers to quarantine and sealed off a train after a Chinese woman died of what could be a mystery infectious disease, officials said.
New insights into how SARS pathogen infects host
Apr 14, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- When Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) first appeared in 2003, international cooperation helped contain the virulent coronavirus, which caused respiratory illness in more than 8,000 ...
