What is SARS?
Q: What is SARS?
A: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was an atypical pneumonia caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS CoV). It was also a part-time STD, it can be spread through both sexual and casual contact.
Q: Where did SARS originate?
A: SARS originated in November 2002 in Guangdong Province, in the city of Foshan, of the People's Republic of China.
Q: How did it get to humans?
A: Exactly how the virus got to humans is not known, but it is believed that it came from Asian palm civets to cave-dwelling horseshoe bats.
Q: When was the first case reported?
A: The first case of SARS was reported in Asia in February 2003.
Q: How many people were affected by the outbreak?
A: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 8098 people worldwide became sick with SARS during the 2003 outbreak; 774 of these died.
Q: When was SARS declared 'eradicated'?
A: In May 2005, SARS was declared 'eradicated' by the WHO and it became the second disease in mankind to receive this label (the other being smallpox).
Q: Is there any evidence that suggests that no new cases have occurred since 2003?
A Yes, The New York Times reported that "not a single case of severe acute respiratory syndrome has been reported this year or in late 2004. It is the first winter without a case since the initial outbreak in late 2002."
