Using patient-collected clinical samples and sera to detect and quantify the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
BACKGROUND
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused a large outbreak of pneumonia in Beijing, China, in 2003. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect and quantify SARS-CoV in 934 sera and self-collected throat washes and fecal samples from 271 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS managed at a single institution.


RESULTS
SARS-CoV detection rates in sera were highest in the first 9 days of illness, whereas detection was highest in throat washes 5-14 days after onset of symptoms. The highest SARS-CoV RT-PCR rates (70.4-86.3%) and viral loads (log10 4.5-6.1) were seen in fecal samples collected 2-4 weeks after the onset of clinical illness. Fecal samples were frequently SARS-CoV RT-PCR positive beyond 40 days, and occasional sera still had SARS-CoV detected after 3 weeks of illness.


CONCLUSIONS
In the context of an extensive outbreak with major pressure on hospital resources, patient self-collected samples are an alternative to nasopharyngeal aspirates for laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV infection.
He
Zhongping
Z
Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China. zhongpinghe@yahoo.com
Zhuang
Hui
H
Zhao
Chunhui
C
Dong
Qingming
Q
Peng
Guoai
G
Dwyer
Dominic E
DE
D000328:Adult; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000821:virology*; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D044967:Serum / Q000821:virology*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*
D012367:RNA, Viral