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Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS): breath-taking progress
Peter M Hawkey1, Sanjay Bhagani1, Stephen H Gillespie1
1Public Health Laboratory, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham B9 5SS, UK 2Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, UK 3University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK.
Journal of Medical Microbiology
|July 18, 2003
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged in China in 2002 and rapidly spread globally. International collaboration quickly identified the infectious agent, transmission, and developed diagnostic tests.
Area of Science:
- * Infectious disease epidemiology
- * Public health microbiology
- * Global health security
Background:
- * Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) first reported in Guangdong, China, late 2002.
- * International outbreak in Hong Kong, March 2003, highlighted rapid global spread via air travel.
- * World Health Organization declared a global emergency, mobilizing international scientific response.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To investigate the emergence and spread of a novel severe respiratory illness.
- * To understand the characteristics of the infectious agent responsible for SARS.
- * To develop strategies for containment and diagnosis of the SARS outbreak.
Main Methods:
- * International collaboration of epidemiologists, public health physicians, and microbiologists.
- * Real-time data collection and analysis of case distribution and transmission patterns.
- * Laboratory investigations to identify the causative pathogen and its properties.
Main Results:
- * Identification of the infectious agent responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
- * Establishment of the primary modes of SARS transmission.
- * Rapid development of diagnostic tests for SARS detection.
Conclusions:
- * The international scientific response was effective in characterizing and enabling control of the SARS outbreak.
- * Rapid identification of the pathogen and transmission routes facilitated timely diagnostic test development.
- * Global collaboration is crucial for managing emerging infectious disease threats.