Transcript Document
Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS)
Lydia Ho & Rui Yang
BISC 209
Professor Mary Allen
November 16, 02
Initial cases of SARS appeared in South China
February 14, 03
305 cases & 5 deaths from an unknown acute
respiratory syndrome
March 03:
New reports of outbreaks came in from Hong Kong, Singapore
& Vietnam
New syndrome was designated as “severe acute
respiratory syndrome,” or SARS
March 12, 03:
WHO issued global alert about SARS
March 17, 03:
WHO called for global collaborative research on SARS
March 24, 03:
Scientists in CDC and HK announced isolation of
new coronavirus from SARS patients
DNA sequencing shows this virus is distinct from all known
human pathogens
April 20-25, 03:
Outbreaks in Hanoi, Hong Kong, China, Singapore &
Toronto showed signs of peaking
City closed down schools & imposes strict quarantine measures
April 25, 03:
Nearly 3000 SARS cases have been identified in China
By the end of June, 03:
Most countries were removed from the list of areas
with recent local transmission of SARS:
Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing , Toronto , Taiwan
But the investigation continues…
The Pathogen behind it all…
SARS-CoV Virus
Discovery of the new virus
Kochs postulates
Discovery of novel coronavirus in patient
Isolation of cell culture
Reproducible symptom in cell culture
Identical isolates produced
Novel coronavirus is the cause of SARS
Coronaviridae
A family of large,
enveloped, positivesense single
stranded RNA virus
Irregular shape
Characteristic ‘clubshaped’ surface
projections (~20nm)
SARS-CoV Genome
71% of the genome codes for polyproteins
Remainder: codes for structural proteins
S (spike): receptor binding, cell fusion, major
antigen
E (envelop): envelop-associated protein
M (membrane): transmembrane-budding
N (nucleocapsid): genome-associated
phosphoprotein
SARS-CoV Genome
SARS-CoV Life Cycle
S-protein binds to receptor initiation of
induced endocytosis
Translation of viral RNA polymerase
Transcription of (+) RNA into genomic
and subgenomic mRNA in the cytoplasm
N protein synthesized from free ribosome
S and M protein synthesized in RER
Budding from RER as virion, excretion
from cell via Golgi
SARS Case Definition
Clinical Symptoms
High fever
Clinical History
10 days before onset of symptoms
Close contact with
probable/suspected SARS patients
Live in / travel to area with
transmission of SARS
Transmission of SARS
Transmission of SARS-CoV
Highly probable: origination is a crossspecies jump from civet cat to human
Human-to-human transmission
Direct contact
Spread in droplets shed from respiratory
secretions
Possible fecal transmission
Infectiousness of SARS
Debatable
Most patients are moderately infectious
Cases of “superspreaders” reported
Factors affecting infectiousness are
Viral load of the secretion from index patient
Aerosol-generation procedures
Distance of the index patient
Methods of Diagnosis
Virus Detection
Virus isolation: inoculate suitable cell culture
with patient specimens
Antibody Detection
When infected by SARS-CoV antibodies
(e.g. IgM and IgG) are produced / change
in level
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA)
Antibody Detection
Immunofluorescence assay (IFA):
Sample: patient serum
Method:
Fix SARS-CoV-infected cells on microscope’s slide (patient
antibodies already bound to viral antigens)
Immunofluorescent-labeled 2º antibodies bind to human
IgG/IgM
Significance: positive result after 10 days of onset of
illness
Clinical Findings
Clinical history & observation
Chest radiography: important role
70-80% patients have abnormal chest radiographs
Method of Cure
Immunomodulatory therapy
Corticosteroid
Very powerful: affect entire body
Anti-inflammatory & immunosuppressive effects
Significance: early improvement of fever, better
radiographic infiltrates
Controversy:
? Effectiveness
Adverse side effects
Antiviral Agents
Ribavirin: nucleoside analog
Most frequently administered
Have antiviral activity against
many DNA & RNA viruses
Criticism:
? Effectiveness
Adverse side effects
Antiviral Agents
Protease inhibitor:
Lopinavir-ritonavir co-formulation: protease
inhibitor used to treat HIV infection
With ribavirin: block processing of the viral
replicase polyprotein prevent RNA
replication
Method of Prevention &
Control
Principle of Disease
Confinement
Principle: to break the chain of transmission
from infected to healthy person
3-step protocol of disease confinement
Case detection
Prompt isolation
Contract tracing
Daily health check
Voluntary home isolation
Epidemic Containment
Creation of emergency operating center
Institutional support
Efficient quarantine measures
Legislation
International collaboration—WHO
Travel alerts and restrictions
Coordination for research
Agreement of countries on containment protocol
SARS and Beyond…
The early management of SARS
epidermic may serve as a model for
the containment of future epidermics
and pandemics
References
Cann, A. (January 20, 2004). Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Retrieved
from: http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/3035/coronaviruses.html
Dept. of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response, WHO. (2003). Consensus
document on the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Kamps, Hoffmann. (October, 2003). SARS Reference. Retrieved from:
www.SARSreference.com
Shanghai Center for Bioinfomatics Technology. (2004). Life cycle of the SARS virus.
Retrieved from:
http://www.scbit.org/english/sars/Life%20cycle%20of%20SARS%20virus.htm
Siddell, S, Wege H., ter Meulen V. The biology of coronaviruses. J. Gen Virol. 1983; 64
(Pt4): 761-776
Thiel, et al. (June 19, 2003). Mechanisms and enzymes involved in SARS coronavirus
genome expression, Journal of general virology. Retrieved from:
http://www.socgenmicrobiol.org.uk/JGVDirect/19424/19424ft.htm
Tsang KW, Ho PL, Ooi GC, Yee WK, et al. A Cluster of Cases of Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome in Hong Kong. N Engl J Med 2003, 348:1977-85.
http://SARSReference.com/lit.php?id=12671062
World Health Organization. (2004). Case Definition. Retrieved from:
www.who.int/csr/sars/casedefinition/en/
World Health Organization. (2004). Diagnostic Tests. Retrieved from
www.who.int/csr/sars/diagnostictests/en/