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Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Severe
acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory
illness that has recently been reported in Asia, North
America, and Europe. As of April 20, about 198 suspect
cases of SARS and 38 probable cases of SARS had been
reported in the United States. This fact sheet provides
basic information about the disease and what is being
done to combat its spread. |
| History
of SARS |
| SARS
was first recognized at the end of February in Hanoi,
Viet Nam. The index case, a middle-aged business man
who traveled extensively in South-East Asia before becoming
unwell, was admitted to a hospital in Hanoi on 26 February
2003 with high fever, dry cough, myalgia and mild sore
throat. Over the following four days, he developed symptoms
of adult respiratory distress syndrome, requiring ventilatory
support, and severe thrombocytopenia. Despite intensive
therapy, he died on 13 March after being transferred
to an isolation facility in Hong Kong SAR. |
| Symptoms
of SARS |
|
In
general, SARS begins with a fever greater than 100.4°F
[>38.0°C]. Other symptoms may include headache,
an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches.
Some people also experience mild respiratory symptoms.
After 2 to 7 days, SARS patients may develop a dry
cough and have trouble breathing. |
| How
SARS Spreads |
|
The
primary way that SARS appears to spread is by close
person-to-person contact. Most cases of SARS have
involved people who cared for or lived with someone
with SARS, or had direct contact with infectious material
(for example, respiratory secretions) from a person
who has SARS. Potential ways in which SARS can be
spread include touching the skin of other people or
objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets
and then touching your eye(s), nose, or mouth. This
can happen when someone who is sick with SARS coughs
or sneezes droplets onto themselves, other people,
or nearby surfaces. It also is possible that SARS
can be spread more broadly through the air or by other
ways that are currently not known. |
| Who
is At Risk For SARS |
| Cases
of SARS continue to be reported mainly 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 taking care of a SARS patient. In the
United States, there is no indication of community spread
at this time. |
| Possible
cause of SARS |
|
Scientists
at CDC and other laboratories have detected a previously
unrecognized coronavirus in patients with SARS. The
new coronavirus is the leading hypothesis for the
cause of SARS, however, other viruses are still under
investigation as potential causes.
Coronaviruses
are a group of viruses that have a halo or crown-like
(corona) appearance when viewed under a microscope.
These viruses are a common cause of mild to moderate
upper-respiratory illness in humans and are associated
with respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver and neurologic
disease in animals. |
| What
is the treatment for SARS? |
| Limited
information is currently available on treatment for
SARS. Antibiotics, antiviral medications and steroids
have been used in some SARS cases. Supportive treatment,
such as intravenous fluids, medicine to control fever
or pain, is critical. |
| Guidance
for Management of School Students Exposed to SARS |
| To
date, all reported patients with Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) in the United States have been exposed
either through previous foreign travel to countries
with community transmission of SARS or close contact
(e.g., household members or healthcare workers) with
SARS patients.
Casual
contact with a SARS patient at schools, other institutions,
or public gatherings (e.g., attending the same class
or public gathering) has not resulted in reported
transmission in the United States. However, management
of students exposed (i.e., through foreign travel
or close contact) to SARS patients is a concern. The
following are interim recommendations concerning management
of exposed students.
1. Exposed students who develop fever or respiratory
symptoms (e.g., symptomatic exposed student) during
the 10 days following exposure should avoid contact
with others, seek immediate medical evaluation,
and practice infection control precautions recommended
for SARS patients in the home or residential setting.
Symptomatic exposed students should not go to school
or work, but should stay home while arranging healthcare
evaluation; in advance of the evaluation, healthcare
providers should be informed that the individual
may be developing SARS.
2. If symptoms do not progress to meet the suspect
SARS case definition within 72 hours after first
symptom onset, the student may be allowed to return
to school or work, and infection control precautions
can be discontinued.
3. For students who go on to meet the case definition
for suspected SARS (e.g., develop fever and respiratory
symptoms), infection control precautions should
be continued until 10 days after the resolution
of fever, provided respiratory symptoms are absent
or improving. Suspected SARS should be reported
to local health authorities, school officials, and
other healthcare providers immediately.
4. If a symptomatic exposed student lives in a residence
where appropriate infection control precautions
cannot be implemented and maintained (e.g., crowded
dormitory setting), alternative housing arrangements
should be made. If there is no such alternative,
the student should be hospitalized, or housed in
a designated residential facility for convalescing
SARS patients, where infection control precautions
can be followed.
5. Exposed students without fever or respiratory
symptoms should not be excluded from school; however,
these individuals should be vigilant for onset of
illness, and the exposure should be reported to
the appropriate points of contact (e.g., school
officials and local health authorities).
6. In a school which has a symptomatic exposed student
enrolled during the 10 days following exposure,
education concerning the symptoms of SARS and monitoring
of potentially exposed students and school personnel
should be conducted in consultation with the local
health department.
source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/factsheet.htm
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