SARS (Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
SARS stands
for Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome and it is a viral respiratory illness (a severe
form
of pneumonia, accompanied by a fever) caused by a coronavirus, called
SARS
virus. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome was first reported in Asia in
February 2003. Over the next few months, the illness spread to more
than
two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia
before
the SARS global outbreak of 2003 was contained.
A small
number of people
with SARS can become severely ill. It is believed the illness is spread
from coughing and sneezing or from direct face-to-face contact with a
person
who has SARS. Race or ethnic background are not factors in the
development
or spread of SARS.
SARS
VIRUS - On April
16 2003, following the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in
Asia and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health
Organization
issued a press release stating that the corona virus identified by a
number
of laboratories was the official cause of SARS. The virus was
officially
named the SARS virus
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