SARS
Viral mutations
Like all living things, viruses are constantly changing and evolving. A mutation iswhere genetic information stored inside an organism changes.
Many global outbreaks of infectious illnesses (pandemics) that have occurred in recent history are thought to have been caused by viruses previously only found in animals. After mutating, the virusesbecame capable of infecting humans.
Examples of mutated virusesinclude:
- SARS
- HIV thought to be a mutated version of a virus found in monkeys
- avian flu a mutated version of a flu virus found in birds
- swine flu a mutated version of a flu virus thought to have originated in pigs
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a highly contagious, serious and potentially life threatening form of pneumonia.
The SARS pandemic
SARS originated in China in 2002. It's thought a strain of the coronavirus usually only found in small mammals mutated, enabling it to infect humans. The SARS infection quickly spread from China to o
Viral mutations
Like all living things, viruses are constantly changing and evolving. A mutation iswhere genetic information stored inside an organism changes. Many global outbreaks of infectious illnesses (pandemic
How SARS is spread
SARS is an airborne virus, which means it's spread in a similar way to colds and flu . The SARS virus is spread in small droplets of saliva coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person. If s
Symptoms of SARS
SARS has flu-like symptoms that usuallybegin two to seven days after infection. In some cases, the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms (incubation period)can be up to 10 days
Treatment for SARS
There's currently no cure for SARS, but research to find a vaccine is ongoing. A person suspected of having SARS should be admitted to hospital immediately and kept in isolation under close observati
Preventing the spread of SARS
Avoid travelling to areas of the world where there's an uncontrolled SARS outbreak. To reduce your risk ofbecoming infected, avoid direct contact with people withSARS until at least 10 days after the
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