Excretion and detection of SARS coronavirus and its nucleic acid from digestive system.
OBJECTIVE
To study whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) could be excreted from digestive system.


METHODS
Cell culture and semi-nested RT-PCR were used to detect SARS-CoV and its RNA from 21 stool and urine samples, and a kind of electropositive filter media particles was used to concentrate the virus in 10 sewage samples from two hospitals receiving SARS patients in Beijing in China.


RESULTS
It was demonstrated that there was no live SARS-CoV in all samples collected, but the RNA of SARS-CoV could be detected in seven stool samples from SARS patients with any one of the symptoms of fever, malaise, cough, or dyspnea, in 10 sewage samples before disinfection and 3 samples after disinfection from the two hospitals. The RNA could not be detected in urine and stool samples from patients recovered from SARS.


CONCLUSIONS
Nucleic acid of SARS-CoV can be excreted through the stool of patients into sewage system, and the possibility of SARS-CoV transmitting through digestive system cannot be excluded.
Wang
Xin-Wei
XW
Tianjin Institute of Environment and Health, Tianjin 300050, China.
Li
Jin-Song
JS
Guo
Ting-Kai
TK
Zhen
Bei
B
Kong
Qing-Xin
QX
Yi
Bin
B
Li
Zhong
Z
Song
Nong
N
Jin
Min
M
Wu
Xiao-Ming
XM
Xiao
Wen-Jun
WJ
Zhu
Xiu-Mei
XM
Gu
Chang-Qing
CQ
Yin
Jing
J
Wei
Wei
W
Yao
Wei
W
Liu
Chao
C
Li
Jian-Feng
JF
Ou
Guo-Rong
GR
Wang
Min-Nian
MN
Fang
Tong-Yu
TY
Wang
Gui-Jie
GJ
Qiu
Yao-Hui
YH
Wu
Huai-Huan
HH
Chao
Fu-Huan
FH
Li
Jun-Wen
JW
D004064:Digestive System / Q000821:virology*; D004203:Disinfection; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology
D012367:RNA, Viral; D012722:Sewage