What is sars caused by

SARS pdf icon [3 pages]. Of these, died. All of these people had traveled to other parts of the world where SARS was spreading. Top of Page. In general, SARS begins with a high fever temperature greater than Other symptoms may include headache, an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches.

Some people also have mild respiratory symptoms at the outset. About 10 percent to 20 percent of patients have diarrhea. However, persons with SARS are advised to isolate themselves at home for 10 days after the resolution of fever, provided that their respiratory symptoms are improving.

What causes SARS? How does SARS spread? SARS is spread primarily by close person-to-person contact. Examples of close contact include kissing or hugging, sharing eating or drinking utensils, talking to someone within 3 feet, and touching someone directly. Close contact does not include activities like walking by a person or sitting across a waiting room or office for a brief time. The virus that causes SARS is transmitted by the spread of respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

When a person coughs or sneezes, small amounts of fluid are propelled for about 3 feet through the air and land on the mouth, nose or eyes of persons who are near by. The virus also can spread when a person touches a surface or object contaminated with these infectious droplets and then touches his or her mouth, nose, or eyes. It is possible that the SARS virus might spread more broadly through the air airborne spread or by other ways that are not now known.

How is SARS diagnosed? How do we protect ourselves from SARS? In caring for a SARS patient at home strict infection control precautions should be followed. Nearly contacts of these patients with possible SARS are under medical observation, including in Beijing and in Anhui.

In addition, health authorities have reported that two doctors who treated one of one of the patients during her hospitalization in Anhui have developed fever. A person in close contact with one of the doctors has also developed fever.

To date, all diagnosed cases and cases under investigation have been linked to chains of transmission involving close personal contact with an identified case. There is no evidence of wider transmission in the community. CDC is monitoring this evolving situation in China and will provide additional information on this website as it becomes available. At this time, CDC is not advising changes in the current U. This update contains additional details about the reported SARS cases.

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. There is not enough information about the new virus to determine the full range of illness that it might cause.

Coronaviruses have occasionally been linked to pneumonia in humans, especially people with weakened immune systems. The viruses also can cause severe disease in animals, including cats, dogs, pigs, mice, and birds.

Preliminary studies in some research laboratories suggest that the virus may survive in the environment for several days. The length of time that the virus survives likely depends on a number of factors. These factors could include the type of material or body fluid containing the virus and various environmental conditions such as temperature or humidity. If your doctor suspects you may have SARS, he or she may recommend that, instead of visiting the doctor's office, you go straight to a hospital.

The hospital will take appropriate precautions to prevent the infection from spreading to others. During an outbreak, some hospitals set up clinics to specifically deal with SARS.

To diagnose SARS, a doctor will perform a physical examination and check for fever and swollen glands. He or she will also listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. Buildup of fluid in the lungs can be seen through a chest X-ray, CT scan, or with a magnetic resonance imaging MRI scanner. The doctor will send a sample of your sputum phlegm to a laboratory to confirm the diagnosis. People with SARS must be treated in a hospital. Because the disease is severe, treatment needs to start based on symptoms, before the cause of the illness is confirmed.

People who are suspected of having SARS are placed in isolation to protect other patients and health care workers. So far, no medication has been proven to cure SARS. Treatment, for the most part, is supportive, and may include intravenous fluids fluids injected into a vein or a respirator to help with breathing.

Although antibiotics will not help with SARS as SARS is due to a virus , they may be used in cases where the person has developed a secondary bacterial infection. The benefit of antiviral medications or corticosteroids e.

There are currently no vaccines or medications that can protect you from SARS.