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Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Nature Medicine volume 10, pages S88–S97 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was caused by a previously unrecognized animal coronavirus that exploited opportunities provided by 'wet markets' in southern China to adapt to become a virus readily transmissible between humans. Hospitals and international travel proved to be 'amplifiers' that permitted a local outbreak to achieve global dimensions. In this review we will discuss the substantial scientific progress that has been made towards understanding the virus—SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV)—and the disease. We will also highlight the progress that has been made towards developing vaccines and therapies The concerted and coordinated response that contained SARS is a triumph for global public health and provides a new paradigm for the detection and control of future emerging infectious disease threats.

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Figure 1: The global spread of SARS.
Figure 2: Wet markets in Guangdong: 'Wet markets' selling live poultry, fish, reptiles and other mammals are commonplace across southeast Asia and southern China to service the cultural demand for freshly killed meat and fish produce.

(AP Photo/Xinhua, Liu Dawei)

Figure 3: Schematic diagram of the SARS coronavirus structure (reproduced from ref. 20).

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Acknowledgements

We thank K.V. Holmes, L.L.M. Poon and J.M. Nicholls for critical comment on the manuscript; A. Frazier for scientific editing; and F. Wong for secretarial assistance. We acknowledge research funding from the United States National Institutes of Health (grant AI95357), the Wellcome Trust (grant 067072/D/02/Z) and the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases from the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

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  1. Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, University Pathology Building, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfualm, Hong Kong Special Administrative, Region of China

    J S M Peiris, Y Guan & K Y Yuen

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  1. J S M Peiris
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  2. Y Guan
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  3. K Y Yuen
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Correspondence to J S M Peiris.

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Peiris, J., Guan, Y. & Yuen, K. Severe acute respiratory syndrome. Nat Med 10 (Suppl 12), S88–S97 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1143

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