Emerging Infectious Diseases (Feb 2004)

SARS-associated Coronavirus Transmission, United States

  • Elmira T. Isakbaeva,
  • Nino Khetsuriani,
  • R. Suzanne Beard,
  • Angela Peck,
  • Dean D. Erdman,
  • Stephan S. Monroe,
  • Suxiang Tong,
  • Thomas G. Ksiazek,
  • Sara Lowther,
  • Indra Pandya Smith,
  • Larry J. Anderson,
  • Jairam Lingappa,
  • Marc-Alain Widdowson

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1002.030734
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 2
pp. 225 – 231

Abstract

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To better assess the risk for transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), we obtained serial specimens and clinical and exposure data from seven confirmed U.S. SARS patients and their 10 household contacts. SARS-CoV was detected in a day-14 sputum specimen from one case-patient and in five stool specimens from two case-patients. In one case-patient, SARS-CoV persisted in stool for at least 26 days after symptom onset. The highest amounts of virus were in the day-14 sputum sample and a day-14 stool sample. Residual respiratory symptoms were still present in recovered SARS case-patients 2 months after illness onset. Possible transmission of SARS-CoV occurred in one household contact, but this person had also traveled to a SARS-affected area. The data suggest that SARS-CoV is not always transmitted efficiently. Laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV infection is difficult; thus, sputum and stool specimens should be included in the diagnostic work-up for SARS-CoV infection.

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