SARSSevereacuterespiratorysyndrome(SARS)isaviralrespiratoryillnesscausedbyacoronavirus,calledSARS-associatedcoronavirus(SARS-CoV).SARSwasfirstreportedinAsiainFebruary2003.Overthenextfewmonths,theillnessspreadtomorethantwodozencountriesinNorthAmerica,SouthAmerica,Europe,andAsiabeforetheSARSglobaloutbreakof2003wascontained.ThisfactsheetgivesbasicinformationabouttheillnessandwhatCDChasdonetocontrolSARSintheUnitedStates.TofindoutmoreaboutSARS,gotoCDC'sSARSwebsiteandWHO'sSARSwebsite.TheSARSoutbreakof2003AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization(WHO),atotalof8,098peopleworldwidebecamesickwithSARSduringthe2003outbreak.Ofthese,774died.IntheUnitedStates,onlyeightpeoplehadlaboratoryevidenceofSARS-CoVinfection.AllofthesepeoplehadtraveledtootherpartsoftheworldwithSARS.SARSdidnotspreadmorewidelyinthecommunityintheUnitedStates.ForanupdateonSARScasesintheUnitedStatesandworldwideasofDecember2003,seeRevisedU.S.SurveillanceCaseDefinitionforSevereAcuteRespiratorySyndrome(SARS)andUpdateonSARSCases---UnitedStatesandWorldwide,December2003.SymptomsofSARSIngeneral,SARSbeginswithahighfever(temperaturegreaterthan100.4°F[>38.0°C]).Othersymptomsmayincludeheadache,anoverallfeelingofdiscomfort,andbodyaches.Somepeoplealsohavemildrespiratorysymptomsattheoutset.About10percentto20percentofpatientshavediarrhea.After2to7days,SARSpatientsmaydevelopadrycough.Mostpatientsdeveloppneumonia.HowSARSspreadsThemainwaythatSARSseemstospreadisbycloseperson-to-personcontact.ThevirusthatcausesSARSisthoughttobetransmittedmostreadilybyrespiratorydroplets(dropletspread)producedwhenaninfectedpersoncoughsorsneezes.Dropletspreadcanhappenwhendropletsfromthecoughorsneezeofaninfectedpersonarepropelledashortdistance(generallyupto3feet)throughtheairanddepositedonthemucousmembranesofthemouth,nose,oreyesofpersonswhoarenearby.Thevirusalsocanspreadwhenapersontouchesasurfaceorobjectcontaminatedwithinfectiousdroplets用心爱心专心andthentoucheshisorhermouth,nose,oreye(s).Inaddition,itispossiblethattheSARSvirusmightspreadmorebroadlythroughtheair(airbornespread)orbyotherwaysthatarenotnowknown.Whatdoes“closecontact”mean?InthecontextofSARS,closecontactmeanshavingcaredfororlivedwithsomeonewithSARSorhavingdirectcontactwithrespiratorysecretionsorbodyfluidsofapatientwithSARS.Examplesofclosecontactincludekissingorhugging,sharingeatingordrinkingutensils,talkingtosomeonewithin3feet,andtouchingsomeonedirectly.Closecontactdoesnotincludeactivitieslikewalkingbyapersonorbrieflysittingacrossawaitingroomoroffice用心爱心专心
