title: Excretion and detection of SARS coronavirus and its nucleic acid from digestive system.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Environment and Health, Tianjin 300050, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ting-Kai
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhen
authors.forename: Qing-Xin
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nong
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiu-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Chang-Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guo-Rong
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Min-Nian
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tong-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Gui-Jie
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yao-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Huai-Huan
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fu-Huan
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Jun-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D012722:Sewage