SARS

 

The CDC website

 

First case: Nov 16th 2002 in Foshan city, Guangdong Province China

 

by Spring a new pneumonia announced.

 

Cause: a novel corona virus.

 

Seen in 33 countries

 

8450 total cases {US 192 cases}, 810 deaths {US no deaths to date}

 

Symptoms Fever abot 100.4 °F [38°C], headache, general discomfort, body aches, 10-20% have diarrhea

 

After 2-7 days– a dry cough and pneumonia

 

neutralizing Ab in 2-3 weeks [reinfection unlikely]

 

…could be more cases but the WHO definitions requires acute respiratory distress–so by definition mild cases even if + by DNA [PCR] testing may be excluded

 

transmission requires close contact, only known source: lung generated air droplets. Virus also found in feces and in kidneys

 

 

 

strain called SARS associated corona virus –OR the first virus isolate called Urbanii strain

 

innoc of monkeys with this isolate results in pneumonia and can be re-isolated from nose and throat of these monkeys

 

most cases people are between 20-50 y, 30% health care workers

 

deaths 50% fatal in those over 60 y

 

 

 

WHERE did it come from?

 

possibilities

 

a. 15-30% of mild colds [upper resp] caused by 2 known coronaviruses. but prefer lower temp

 

b. species jump

 

4 Sept 2003 issue of SCIENCE pdf

 

went to the live animal market in Guangdong

 

isolates of coronavirus, different only by having +29 bp compared with human isolates [total bp=30,000]

 

in Himalayan palm civets, racoon-dog and humans in the market. Primary animal reservoir is bats.

 

suggests an interspecies transmission –a __________________________.