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.
National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wei-Kung
WK
Wang
Shey-Ying
SY
Chen
I-Jung
IJ
Liu
Yee-Chun
YC
Chen
Hui-Ling
HL
Chen
Chao-Fu
CF
Yang
Pei-Jer
PJ
Chen
Shiou-Hwei
SH
Yeh
Chuan-Liang
CL
Kao
Li-Min
LM
Huang
Po-Ren
PR
Hsueh
Jann-Tay
JT
Wang
Wang-Hwei
WH
Sheng
Chi-Tai
CT
Fang
Chien-Ching
CC
Hung
Szu-Min
SM
Hsieh
Chan-Ping
CP
Su
Wen-Chu
WC
Chiang
Jyh-Yuan
JY
Yang
Jih-Hui
JH
Lin
Szu-Chia
SC
Hsieh
Hsien-Ping
HP
Hu
Yu-Ping
YP
Chiang
Jin-Town
JT
Wang
Pan-Chyr
PC
Yang
Shan-Chwen
SC
Chang
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