title: [Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)].
abstract: The sudden appearance of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 demonstrated to the world at large that despite the high standard of medical care in affected countries, a highly contagious emerging infectious disease could spread rapidly worldwide. By application and improvement of stringent infection control measures, a further spread of SARS could be stopped and the disease could so far be defeated. In the meantime, decisive progress in the knowledge about the structure and further characteristics of the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) have been made, including the likely virus reservoir and the ways of spread. Validated diagnostic tests are now available and are further being improved. Effective vaccines and antiviral agents are being developed. Of imminent importance to prepare against a resurgence of SARS, remain, besides an exact knowledge about the viral pathogen and its possible further behavior, constant vigilance, early recognition, and instant isolation of suspected cases of SARS.
authors.affiliation: Pneumologisch-Allergologische Praxis (August-Bebel-Strasse), Leipzig, Deutschland. gerhard.hoheisel@t-online.de
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoheisel
authors.forename: Wei Kwang
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gillissen
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.forename: Uwe Gerd
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Liebert
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014944:World Health Organization; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014765:Viral Vaccines