Severe acute respiratory syndrome: an overview.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a severe pulmonary infection that has been identified in multiple outbreaks around the world after emerging from mainland China in early 2003. The syndrome is caused by SARS-associated coronavirus, a novel human infection. SARS-associated coronavirus is spread by multiple mechanisms, including direct contact and large-droplet aerosolization, and may be spread by droplet nuclei as well. Clinical disease is characterized by fever, dry cough, interstitial infiltrates, and variable progression to respiratory failure. No treatment has clearly been shown to be effective. Aggressive infection control measures to prevent viral spread are key to outbreak management.
D006801:Humans; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy