What is SARS?

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) –

Although exact transmission is unknown, SARS appears to be spread by droplet transmission, which is seen when an individual infected with SARS coughs or sneezes, and another person breaths these respiratory droplets or touches a contaminated surface. Common-cold viruses, for example, are generally spread through droplet transmission.

Scientists have confirmed the identity of the virus that causes the lethal new disease known as severe acute respiratory syndrome, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, marking an important step toward developing new drugs to combat the disease.

In experiments conducted in the Netherlands, scientists infected monkeys with the coronavirus suspected of causing of SARS and found that the animals developed the same symptoms of the disease that humans have developed. The caronavirus is a common cause of mild to moderate upper-respiratory illness in humans.

Coronaviruses can survive in the environment for as long as three hours.

The test was a crucial step in verifying the cause of the disease. Verifying the cause is important for creating a vaccine and for refining diagnostic tests to help stop the disease’s spread.

It also will help scientists trace the virus’ evolution and possibly determine whether it jumped from animals to humans. Pigs and poultry currently are being tested to determine how susceptible they are to SARS.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that patients with SARS receive the same treatment that would be used for any patient with serious community-acquired pneumonia.

Cases of SARS continue to be reported primarily among people who have had direct close contact with an infected person, such as those sharing a household with a SARS patient and health-care workers who did not use infection control procedures while caring for a SARS patient.

A total of 3947 are infected in Europe in Asia, not including 228 deaths in 28 countries, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on April 22.

In the United States, 30 states harbor a total of 38 infected SARS patients, and there is yet no indication of transmission at this time. Several infected individuals reside in Connecticut.

In recent weeks, several nations have urged their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to China.