Abstract

NOVEL EMERGING INFECTIONS: SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS (SARS-COV)

Suresh Rewar*

Abstract

Several new viral respiratory tract infectious diseases with epidemic potential that threaten global health security have emerged in the past 15 years. A severe viral illness caused by a newly discovered coronavirus was first reported in the 2003. In 2003, WHO issued a worldwide alert for an unknown emerging illness, later named severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) rapidly spread worldwide, Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses with plus-stranded RNA genomes of 26-32 kb, the largest contiguous RNA genomes in nature. Symptoms of SARS include: high fever, cough pneumonia, breathing difficulties headache, chills, muscle aches and sore throat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), From November 2002 to July 2003 a total of 8098 patients, in 25 countries, were affected by the atypical pneumonia which resulted in 774 deaths globally. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a febrile respiratory illness primarily transmitted by respiratory droplets or close personal contact. There are several laboratory tests used to detect SARS-CoV and other causes of respiratory illness. Many methods used in the treatment of viral infections have been only partially effective. For example, the standard treatment in HCV (with ribavirin and interferon-alpha) is effective in 50% of cases.

Keywords: Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Coronaviruses; Transmission; Treatment.