Detection of SARS-associated coronavirus in throat wash and saliva in early diagnosis.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is thought to be transmitted primarily through dispersal of droplets, but little is known about the load of SARS-CoV in oral droplets. We examined oral specimens, including throat wash and saliva, and found large amounts of SARS-CoV RNA in both throat wash (9.58 x 10(2) to 5.93 x 10(6) copies/mL) and saliva (7.08 x 10(3) to 6.38 x 10(8) copies/mL) from all specimens of 17 consecutive probable SARS case-patients, supporting the possibility of transmission through oral droplets. Immunofluorescence study showed replication of SARS-CoV in the cells derived from throat wash, demonstrating the possibility of developing a convenient antigen detection assay. This finding, with the high detection rate a median of 4 days after disease onset and before the development of lung lesions in four patients, suggests that throat wash and saliva should be included in sample collection guidelines for SARS diagnosis.
Wang
Wei-Kung
WK
National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chen
Shey-Ying
SY
Liu
I-Jung
IJ
Chen
Yee-Chun
YC
Chen
Hui-Ling
HL
Yang
Chao-Fu
CF
Chen
Pei-Jer
PJ
Yeh
Shiou-Hwei
SH
Kao
Chuan-Liang
CL
Huang
Li-Min
LM
Hsueh
Po-Ren
PR
Wang
Jann-Tay
JT
Sheng
Wang-Hwei
WH
Fang
Chi-Tai
CT
Hung
Chien-Ching
CC
Hsieh
Szu-Min
SM
Su
Chan-Ping
CP
Chiang
Wen-Chu
WC
Yang
Jyh-Yuan
JY
Lin
Jih-Hui
JH
Hsieh
Szu-Chia
SC
Hu
Hsien-Ping
HP
Chiang
Yu-Ping
YP
Wang
Jin-Town
JT
Yang
Pan-Chyr
PC
Chang
Shan-Chwen
SC
D000328:Adult; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods
D012367:RNA, Viral