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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffSevere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a contagious and sometimes fatal respiratory illness. SARS first appeared in China in November 2002. Within six weeks, SARS spread worldwide, carried by unsuspecting travelers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 8,000 people were infected and about 800 eventually died of severe acute respiratory syndrome during the outbreak.
The rapid and unexpected spread of SARS alarmed health officials and the public. SARS showed how quickly infection can spread in a highly mobile and interconnected world. On the other hand, concerted international cooperation allowed health experts to contain SARS just months after its emergence.
There has been no known transmission of SARS anywhere in the world since 2004.
- Hirsch MS, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 17, 2008.
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): Current SARS situation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nciDOD/sars/situation.htm. Accessed Nov. 17, 2008.
- Hui DS, et al. Current features, pathogenesis and immunobiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. 2008;14:241.
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome: Frequently asked questions about SARS. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/faq.htm. Accessed Nov. 18, 2008.
- Frequently asked questions on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/csr/sars/sarsfaq/en. Accessed Nov. 18, 2008.
- Clinical, epidemiologic, and virologic features of SARS-CoV. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/guidance/core/app1.htm. Accessed Nov. 19, 2008.
- Tansey CM, et al. One-year outcomes and health care utilization in survivors of severe acute respiratory syndrome. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2007;167:1312.
- Wong SS, et al. The management of coronavirus infections with particular reference to SARS. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2008;62:437.
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Supplement F: Laboratory guidance. Diagnostic assays. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/guidance/F/assays.htm. Accessed Nov. 19, 2008.
- Chu CM, et al. Role of lopinavir/ritonavir in the treatment of SARS: Initial virological and clinical findings. Thorax. 2004;59:252.
- Guidance about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) for persons traveling to areas where SARS cases have been reported. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/travel_advice.htm. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Stockman LJ, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome in children. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2007;26:68.
