Preparing to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome and other respiratory infections

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Summary

Globalisation and its effect on human development has rendered an environment that is conducive for the rapid international spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and other new infectious diseases yet to emerge. After the unprecedented multi-country outbreak of avian influenza with human cases in the winter of 2003–2004, an influenza pandemic is a current threat. A critical review of problems and solutions encountered during the 2003–2004 SARS epidemics will serve as the basis for considering national preparedness steps that can be taken to facilitate the early detection of avian influenza, and a rapid response to an influenza pandemic should it occur.

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Identification of a Novel Coronavirus in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Christian Drosten, Stephan Günther, Wolfgang Preiser … (2003)

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has recently been identified as a new clinical entity. SARS is thought to be caused by an unknown infectious agent. Clinical specimens from patients with SARS were searched for unknown viruses with the use of cell cultures and molecular techniques. A novel coronavirus was identified in patients with SARS. The virus was isolated in cell culture, and a sequence 300 nucleotides in length was obtained by a polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR)-based random-amplification procedure. Genetic characterization indicated that the virus is only distantly related to known coronaviruses (identical in 50 to 60 percent of the nucleotide sequence). On the basis of the obtained sequence, conventional and real-time PCR assays for specific and sensitive detection of the novel virus were established. Virus was detected in a variety of clinical specimens from patients with SARS but not in controls. High concentrations of viral RNA of up to 100 million molecules per milliliter were found in sputum. Viral RNA was also detected at extremely low concentrations in plasma during the acute phase and in feces during the late convalescent phase. Infected patients showed seroconversion on the Vero cells in which the virus was isolated. The novel coronavirus might have a role in causing SARS. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society

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A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Thomas G Ksiazek, Dean Erdman, Cynthia Goldsmith … (2003)

A worldwide outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been associated with exposures originating from a single ill health care worker from Guangdong Province, China. We conducted studies to identify the etiologic agent of this outbreak. We received clinical specimens from patients in seven countries and tested them, using virus-isolation techniques, electron-microscopical and histologic studies, and molecular and serologic assays, in an attempt to identify a wide range of potential pathogens. None of the previously described respiratory pathogens were consistently identified. However, a novel coronavirus was isolated from patients who met the case definition of SARS. Cytopathological features were noted in Vero E6 cells inoculated with a throat-swab specimen. Electron-microscopical examination revealed ultrastructural features characteristic of coronaviruses. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining revealed reactivity with group I coronavirus polyclonal antibodies. Consensus coronavirus primers designed to amplify a fragment of the polymerase gene by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to obtain a sequence that clearly identified the isolate as a unique coronavirus only distantly related to previously sequenced coronaviruses. With specific diagnostic RT-PCR primers we identified several identical nucleotide sequences in 12 patients from several locations, a finding consistent with a point-source outbreak. Indirect fluorescence antibody tests and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays made with the new isolate have been used to demonstrate a virus-specific serologic response. This virus may never before have circulated in the U.S. population. A novel coronavirus is associated with this outbreak, and the evidence indicates that this virus has an etiologic role in SARS. Because of the death of Dr. Carlo Urbani, we propose that our first isolate be named the Urbani strain of SARS-associated coronavirus. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society

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Epidemiology and cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong, People's Republic of China, in February, 2003

NS Zhong, BJ Zheng, YM Li … (2003)

Summary Background An epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been associated with an outbreak of atypical pneumonia originating in Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. We aimed to identify the causative agent in the Guangdong outbreak and describe the emergence and spread of the disease within the province. Methods We analysed epidemiological information and collected serum and nasopharyngeal aspirates from patients with SARS in Guangdong in mid-February, 2003. We did virus isolation, serological tests, and molecular assays to identify the causative agent. Findings SARS had been circulating in other cities of Guangdong Province for about 2 months before causing a major outbreak in Guangzhou, the province's capital. A novel coronavirus, SARS coronavirus (CoV), was isolated from specimens from three patients with SARS. Viral antigens were also directly detected in nasopharyngeal aspirates from these patients. 48 of 55 (87%) patients had antibodies to SARS CoV in their convalescent sera. Genetic analysis showed that the SARS CoV isolates from Guangzhou shared the same origin with those in other countries, and had a phylogenetic pathway that matched the spread of SARS to the other parts of the world. Interpretation SARS CoV is the infectious agent responsible for the epidemic outbreak of SARS in Guangdong. The virus isolated from patients in Guangdong is the prototype of the SARS CoV in other regions and countries.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Mei-Shang Ho

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Lancet Infect Dis

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Lancet Infect Dis

Title: The Lancet. Infectious Diseases

Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.

ISSN (Print): 1473-3099

ISSN (Electronic): 1474-4457

Publication date PMC-release: 30 October 2004

Publication date (Print): November 2004

Publication date (Electronic): 30 October 2004

Volume: 4

Issue: 11

Pages: 684-689

Affiliations

[a ]Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan

[b ]Division of Clinical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan

Author notes

[* ]Dr Mei-Shang Ho, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529 Taiwan. Tel +886 2 2789 9120; fax: +886 2 2782 3047 homs@ 123456ibms.sinica.edu.tw

Article

Publisher ID: S1473-3099(04)01174-0

DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(04)01174-0

PMC ID: 7106447

PubMed ID: 15522680

SO-VID: ed573f2c-ff11-4baa-802b-0b7f74953a3a

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Since January 2020 Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre - including this research content - immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.

Preparing to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome and other respiratory infections

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Most cited references 10

Identification of a Novel Coronavirus in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

A novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Epidemiology and cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong, People's Republic of China, in February, 2003

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