Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Michael Leonard

What is SARS?•A viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV)

•Single-stranded RNA

•First developed in animals

•Virus found in civets - a cat-like wild animal eaten as a delicacy in China

•First appeared in southern China in November 2002

•Recognized as a global threat in March 2003

Discovery of SARS

•First described on February 26, 2003

•WHO physician Dr. Carlo Urbani

•Diagnosed 48-year-old businessman traveling from Guangdong, China, through Hong Kong, to Hanoi, Vietnam

•Patient died, and Dr. Urbani subsequently died on March 29, 2003 at age 46

SARS Outbreak of 2003•According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an international outbreak, which ended in July 2003, involved 26 countries, 8,098 cases, and 774 deaths.

How SARS Spreads

•Person-to-person-contact

•Infected person coughing or sneezing

•Respiratory droplets deposited on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes of others nearby

•Touching a contaminated surface or object and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes

•Possible that SARS may be spread through the air or by other ways that are not yet known

SARS SymptomsHigh Fever

Headaches

Sore throat

Body Aches

Fatigue

Shortness of breath

(≥100.4°F)

Diarrhea

Dry cough

Pneumonia

SARS Testing•Patient Testing

•Blood clotting tests

•Blood chemistries

•Chest X-ray or CT scan

•Complete blood count (CBC)

•Laboratory Testing

•Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for blood, stool, and nasal secretions

•Serologic testing to detect SARS-CoV antibodies

•Viral culture to detect SARS-CoV

SARS Treatment•Antibiotics to treat bacterial causes of atypical pneumonia

•Antiviral medications

•Ribavirin

•Have had some but not much benefit

•Immunomodulatory drugs

•Interferon and corticosteroids increase the amount of oxygen in the blood

•Steroids to reduce lung inflammation

•Oxygen, breathing support, or chest physiotherapy

**Other treatments have shown promise in in-vitro or animal models.

SARS Treatment•1/3 (33%) of people with SARS become ill and then recover.

•Gets worse in 2/3 (67%) of patients and is likely to lead to hospitalization

•Risk of dying depends on age and health

•Greatest risk is people over 65 an those with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease

•9 out of 10 people infected with SARS recover.

•1 out of 10 people dies.

Prevention•Wash your hands.

•Wear disposable gloves.

•Wear a surgical mask.

•Wash personal items.

•Disinfect surfaces.

Sources“Fact Sheet: Basic Information About SARS.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., 3 May 2005. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/ ncidod/ sars/ factsheet.htm>.Kaufman, David A., M.D. “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Lib. of Medicine, National Inst. of Health, 2 Mar. 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ medlineplus/ ency/ article/ 007192.htm>.Poutanen, Susan M., and Allison J. McGeer. “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).” AccessScience. The McGraw- Hill Companies, 2011. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://0-www.accessscience.com.sciron.cuyahoga.lib.oh.us/ content.aspx?searchStr=Severe+acute+respiratory+sy ndrome+(SARS)&id=YB051720>.“Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), 6 Jan. 2011. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/ health/ sars/ DS00501>.“Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - Overview.” WebMD. N.p., 13 July 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/ lung/ tc/ severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-sars-overview>.

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