Key facts

SARS is a viral respiratory illness caused by the SARS-associated coronavirus

The illness was first reported in late February 2003 in China

The 2003 global outbreak spread to 29 countries, resulting in 8,096 cases and 774 deaths.

It is a respiratory virus that can spread through the air and via contaminated surfaces

There have been no reported cases of the disease since 2004

Overview

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a SARS-associated coronavirus. Most people who contracted it were previously healthy people between the ages of 25 and around 70. The first cases were in China in November 2002 before the disease spread around the world.

The SARS outbreak was the first severe and readily transmissible new disease of the 21st century and demonstrated the world’s interconnectedness by travelling on international travel routes.…