Essay on "SARS State Which Disease"

Essay 3 pages (1343 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

SARS

State which disease you are discussing. Discuss the history of the emergence of this disease, particularly among human populations. I would like to discuss Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which is a serious form of pneumonia. SARS is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) (Basic Information about SARS. 2005, p. 1). It is caused by a highly contagious virus that was first identified in 2003. Infection with the SARS virus causes acute respiratory distress (severe breathing difficulty) and sometimes death. World Health Organization (WHO) physician Dr. Carlo Urbani identified SARS as a new disease in 2003. He diagnosed it in a 48-year-old businessman who had traveled from the Guangdong province of China, through Hong Kong, to Hanoi, Vietnam. The business-man and the doctor who first diagnosed SARS both died from the illness (Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). 2001. A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia). Over the next few months, the illness spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia before the SARS global outbreak of 2003 was contained (Basic Information about SARS (3 May 2005), p. 1). It infected thousands of people. Schools closed throughout Hong Kong and Singapore. National economies were affected. The WHO identified SARS as a global health threat, and issued a travel advisory. WHO updates closely tracked the spread of SARS. It wasn't clear whether SARS would become a global pandemic (SARS (2001). A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia). The fast global public health response helped to stem the spread of the virus. By June 2003, the number of new cases was down enough that on June 7, the WHO stopped its daily reports. But even though the number of new cases dwindled and travel advisories began to be lifted, every new case had the potential to spark another outbreak. The outbreak, now estimated to have cost $50 billion, was largely contained by the summer of 2003, although sporadic cases have been suspected since (see Wroth, 2005, p. 2). Briefly describe the disease in humans. What is the mortality rate of the disease? In general, SARS begins with a high fever (temperature greater than 100.4°F [>38.0°C]). Other symptoms may include headache, an overall feeling of discomfort, and body aches. Some people also have mild respiratory symptoms at the outset. About 10% to 20% of patients have diarrhea. After 2 to 7 days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough. Most patients develop pneumonia (Basic Information about SARS (3 May 2005), p. 1). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 8,098 people worldwide became sick with SARS during the 2003 outbreak. Of these, 774 died. In the United States, only eight people had laboratory evidence of SARS-CoV infection. All of these people had traveled to other parts of the world with SARS. SARS did not spread more widely in the community in the United States (Basic Information about SARS (3 May 2005), p. 1). Briefly explain how the disease is transmitted to and among humans: The virus was transmitted from animals to people. The SARS outbreak originated from bats of the genus Rhinolophus, and its human emergence is believed to have been facilitated through intermediate hosts in the wet markets of southern China (Hughes & Wilson (2010), 1637). Researchers discovered that SARS was caused by a type of virus called a coronavirus. The bat that carried the virus is often sold as food on Asian markets and its feces are sometimes used medicinally used - even, coincidentally, as a treatment for respiratory problems (see Wroth (2005), p. 2). Because the outbreak was traced to markets where live animals were sold, authorities initially pinned the disease on the civet, a small, ferret-like mammal considered a delicacy. The primary way that SARS appears to spread among human beings is by close person-to-person contact. SARS-CoV is thought to be transmitted most readily by respiratory droplets (droplet spread) produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Droplet spread can happen when droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person… READ MORE

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