The SARS disease or Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome is a new type of virus that has caused a lot of panic all over the world. The first SARS case was reported in Asia in February of two thousand three. Since then the SARS disease has exploded into eight thousand ninety eight cases world wide in two thousand three. Of those cases seven hundred and seventy four people have died. SARS is caused by a virus from the corona virus family. The corona virus comes in many shapes and sizes, but is primary form is spherical and spiked. This virus is the same that causes Bronchitis in chickens and diarrhea in cows. It is believed to have arose in humans through close contact with household pets. This disease has caused a huge scare in our world community and many steps are being taken to understand it better and also to eradicate it.
During the first out break in Asia, it was very hard to control. This was a new disease and there was not a lot of work that had been done on it. The World Health Organization or WHO went out to Asia to assess the situation after the first few cases of SARS were reported. There ended up being a huge outbreak, schools and businesses were closed and it was common place to see people walking around wearing surgical masks in order to keep from being infected. Even the man who named the disease died from it. The best possible job was done to control the disease given the lack of knowledge about it. .
Diagnosis of this virus is made through first looking at the symptoms of the infected person. Those symptoms would include a high fever (usually greater than 100.4 degrees Farenhight), sore throat, head aches and muscle aches. After two to seven days a dry cough usually develops. In addition to all of these symptoms, ten to twenty percent of the infected population develop severe diarrhea, and nearly all of those infected with SARS develop pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs due to a microbe or chemical).
