[Detection for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus RNA in stool of SARS patients].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate excretion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus RNA (SARS-CoV) in stool of SARS patients.


METHODS
SARS-CoV RNA was detected in stool specimens with fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reactions (FQ-PCR) in 101 SARS patients on the 10 to 55 days after onset, 27 non-SARS patients and 400 individuals with health check-up.


RESULTS
SARS-CoV RNA was positive in stool specimens by FQ-PCR in 58 of 101 SARS patients (57.4%), and all negative in 27 non-SARS patients and 400 healthy individuals. Positive rate of SARS-CoV RNA was 100% (8/8), 67.7% (21/31), 47.4% (27/57) and 40.0% (2/5) on the 10 - 19, 20 - 29, 30 - 39 and 40 - 55 days after onset of fever, respectively, with values of logarithm of SARS-CoV RNA load of 6.06 +/- 2.05, 4.51 +/- 1.23, 3.82 +/- 1.44 and 3.57 +/- 1.25, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive rate and load of SARS-CoV RNA in stool of SARS patients was the highest at their acute phase, and decreased with the extension of its course.
He
Zhong-ping
ZP
Research Center of Virology, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011, China.
Dong
Qing-ming
QM
Song
Shu-jing
SJ
He
Lin
L
Zhuang
Hui
H
D002681:China; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000821:virology*
D012367:RNA, Viral