Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Photo Credit: Content Providers(s): CDC/C.S. Goldsmith · Public domain · source
Name	Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Symptoms	Fever, cough, dyspnea, myalgia
Complications	Respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, secondary infection
Onset	2–10 days
Causes	SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV)
Risks	Travel to outbreak areas, healthcare exposure
Diagnosis	RT-PCR, serology, chest radiography
Prevention	Infection control, quarantine, personal protective equipment
Treatment	Supportive care, ventilation, investigational antivirals
Deaths	Variable; pandemic in 2002–2003 caused ~774 deaths globally

Contents

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is an acute viral respiratory illness caused by a zoonotic coronavirus identified in the early 21st century. The syndrome prompted international responses involving World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, and national public health agencies across Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Outbreak investigation and containment engaged institutions such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Overview

Severe acute respiratory syndrome emerged in Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China and spread to metropolitan centers including Hong Kong and Toronto via international travel through hubs like Singapore Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Public health coordination involved World Health Organization, United Nations, International Health Regulations (2005), and national ministries such as the Ministry of Health (Singapore), Health Canada, and the Ministry of Health (Vietnam). High-profile events during the 2002–2003 outbreak influenced policy at institutions including Wuhan University, University of Toronto, and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The etiologic agent is a coronavirus closely related to viruses circulating in bats and civets investigated by teams at University of Hong Kong, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institute for Communicable Diseases (South Africa). Viral characterization used methods from laboratories such as Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Institut Pasteur, and Roche Diagnostics, employing techniques pioneered at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology. Host receptor usage involves angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 described in studies at Johns Hopkins University, Yale School of Medicine, and Imperial College London. Pathogenesis models were developed with animal research at Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Health, and Oxford University.

Clinical descriptions were compiled in cohorts from Hong Kong hospitals, Toronto clinics, and Singapore hospitals; diagnostic criteria were issued by World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Presentations included febrile illness, cough, hypoxemia, and radiographic infiltrates identified using equipment from Siemens Healthineers and GE Healthcare in intensive care units at institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), Queen Mary Hospital (Hong Kong), and National University Hospital (Singapore). Laboratory confirmation relied on RT-PCR assays developed by teams at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and National Microbiology Laboratory (Canada), with serologic testing platforms from Abbott Laboratories and Roche.

Management emphasized supportive care in intensive care settings at centers including Toronto General Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital (Edmonton), and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (Singapore), with mechanical ventilation practices informed by guidelines from American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine. Investigational therapeutics evaluated in observational series included ribavirin, interferons, and corticosteroids with contributions from research groups at University of Hong Kong, McMaster University, and Mayo Clinic. Infection control measures for healthcare workers referenced protocols from World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and national health ministries such as Health Canada.

Containment relied on surveillance and non-pharmaceutical interventions coordinated by World Health Organization, International Air Transport Association, and national agencies including Ministry of Health (Singapore), Health Canada, Department of Health (Hong Kong), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measures included airport screening at hubs like Hong Kong International Airport, contact tracing by public health units such as Toronto Public Health, quarantine operations informed by International Health Regulations (2005), and personal protective equipment supplied through channels including Red Cross and national stockpiles managed by Department of Homeland Security (United States). Lessons from the response influenced preparedness at institutions such as World Health Organization, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.

Category:Coronaviridae Category:Respiratory diseases