SARS: A History of the 2002-2003 Outbreak | Global Health

Severe acute respiratory syndrome is a coronavirus, a sub-species of the virus that causes colds. The World Health Organization reported more than 900 fatalities from SARS among more than 8,000 known cases during the outbreak from late 2002 until the summer of 2003.

Initial Outbreak

• China's Guangdong province was the source of the initial outbreak. Quarantining patients exhibiting the severe flu-like symptoms of SARS became standard protocol when authorities learned the lethal nature of the virus. On March 13, 2003, a Toronto patient died from SARS, sparking fears of a global pandemic.

World Response

• The WHO quickly responded to the outbreak. Early theories pointed to civets, a cat-like mammal, as the source of SARS. Guangdong banned civet sales and consumption and ordered the slaughter of all captive civets. Nations worldwide initiated strict quarantine protocols, containing the epidemic. The WHO reported no new SARS cases after 2004.

Post-Outbreak Research

• In 2005, researchers discovered a virus remarkably similar to SARS in Chinese horseshoe bats. A subsequent University of Ohio study concluded that the virus was transmitted from the bats to humans through an intermediary and then from humans to civets. Epidemiologists still don't fully understand the mode of transmission and haven't been able to identify the intermediary.