SARS

1. SARS
(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

2. DEFINITION
 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
is a communicable viral disease, caused by a
new strain of coronavirus, which differs
considerably in genetic structure from
previously recognized coronavirus.

4. OCCURENCE
 WORLD
The earliest case was traced to a health care
worker in China, in late 2002, with rapid
spread to Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam,
Taiwan and Toronto.
As of early August 2003, about 8,442 cases
(573 deaths) were reported to the WHO from
30 countries with 916 fatalities.
Till date there is no known SARS case
anywhere in the world.
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 INDIA
Only 3 probable cases of SARS was
reported from India (one each in West
Bengal, Gujarat and Karnataka).

6. Agent
(Coronavirus)
Environment
(Overcrowding,
sewage, faeces,
cockroaches)
Host
(Health care
workers)
EPIDEMIOLO-
GICALTRIAD
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 AGENT FACTORS
Causative agent – New strain of Coronavirus
Present in infective materials of eyes, nose
and mouth, and infectious respiratory
droplets.
Maximum virus excretion occurs for about 10
days of illness.
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 HOST FACTORS
Occurs among health care workers, involved
in procedures which generate aerosols.
Rarely occurs in infants.
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 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
It is an airborne disease.
The virus can survive for hours on plastic
surfaces at room temperature for at least 24
hours.
It can live for longer time period in cold.

10. MODES OF
TRANSMISSION
 Close contact with patient
 Infectious respiratory droplets

11. INCUBATION
PERIOD
 The incubation period is 2 – 7 days.

12. CASE
FATALITY
RATIO
 The overall case fatality ratio is 11% but with
much higher rates among elderly persons.
NOTE:
Case fatality ratio is the proportion of deaths
from a certain disease compared to the total
number of people diagnosed with the disease
for a particular period.

13. CLINICAL
MANIFESTA-
TIONS
 Fever
 Headache
 Myalgia
 Malaise
 Cough
 Sore throat
 Running nose
 Dizziness
Some cases require ventilatory support due
to low oxygen saturation.

14. DIAGNOSIS
 Conventional reverse transcriptase PCR
(RT-PCR) and real-time reverse transcriptase
PCR (real-time RT-PCR) assay
 Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA) and immunofluorescent assay (IFA)

15. PREVENTION
There is NO VACCINE present against SARS.
Preventive measures are :
 Identification
 Notification
 Isolation
 Use of protective devices
 Hand washing
 Disinfectants
 Screening

16. TREATMENT
 Systemic corticosteroids
 Ribavirin, lopinavir / ritonavir, interferon type 1,
intravenous immunoglobulin