Diseases A–ZSevere acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
How it spreads | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention
SARS is a respiratory infection caused by a virus, the coronavirus. It's a contagious disease that causes symptoms similar to pneumonia. SARS can be fatal.
SARS is a new disease in humans; the first human case was detected in China in November 2002; the last human-to-human transmission happened in July 2003.
SARS started in China and spread to other countries. According to the World Health Organization, by July 2003 there were 8098 SARS cases in 26 countries; in 774 of these cases, the patient died. SARS affected Canada when travellers returned from Hong Kong carrying the virus. SARS was first detected in Canada in March 2003. In total, 251 Canadians were diagnosed with SARS and 43 Canadians died of it.
Since 2003, there have been four more episodes of SARS; three of these were caused by improper handling of SARS virus in research laboratories. At this time, doctors don't now if there will be another SARS epidemic, but they remain on alert.
How does SARS spread?
SARS is spread through close contact with a person who may be infected, or with their body fluids. Some examples of close contact include:
- living in the same household as a person with SARS
- taking care of a person with SARS
- having direct contact with body fluids of a person with SARS, including droplets from coughing or sneezing
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Symptoms of SARS
The symptoms of SARS can be similar to symptoms of other respiratory infections:
- a fever over 38?C (100.4?F)
- breathing problems
- chills
- headache
- muscle stiffness
- loss of appetite
- malaise- feeling uneasy
- dry cough
- feeling short of breath
These symptoms are similar to symptoms of other respiratory infections. Doctors will only suspect SARS when there is evidence that the person with these symptoms has been in contact with a person who may be infected, with infected body fluids, or with laboratory specimens of the virus itself.
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Treatment of SARS
People suspected to have SARS are cared for in isolated hospital rooms. SARS is treated like a serious case of pneumonia; people may be given oxygen, medications to get rid of swelling and infection in the lungs, and anti-viral medications.
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Preventing SARS
Public health officials recommend several steps to prevent the spread of SARS. These include thorough hand washing, covering sneezes and coughs, cleaning surfaces properly, wearing gloves, wearing a face mask, and more. Read about precautions for controlling SARS from the US Center for Disease Control
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