Severe acute respiratory syndrome revisited

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7394.831

BMJ 2003;326:831-832 ( 19 April )

Editorials

Severe acute respiratory syndrome revisited

Coronavirus may be responsible, but new information arrives every day

See also Papers p 850

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is an infectious disease in humans that was first recognised in south east Asia in lateFebruary 2003.¹ Given the disturbing features associated withthe disease $---$ which include poorly defined pathogenesis, absenceof laboratory diagnostic testing, and failure of known antimicrobialtreatments $---$ its emergence prompted the World Health Organizationto issue the first global health alert for over a decade. An insidiousand non-specific onset and incubation of up to 10-11 days areingredients that favour community transmission $---$ indeed, early epidemiologyindicates spread along international air routes. However, a highproportion of illness has occurred in close contacts of affectedindividuals, which indicates spread through body fluids and secretionsrather than aerosol routes. Despite rigorous procedures for infectioncontrol, transmission has continued in Hong Kong, Singapore, andCanada. This has resulted in yet more rigorous quarantine procedures,which have started to affect the economic life of those . . . [Full text of this article]

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