Criteria for suspected case – all of the following:
(1) respiratory illness of unknown etiology with onset after February 1, 2003
(2) measured temperature > 38.0 °C (100.4°F)
(3) one or more respiratory symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, hypoxia, radiographic findings of pneumonia, radiographic findings of ARDS
(4) one of the following:
(4a) travel within 10 days prior to onset of symptoms to an area of suspected or documented community transmission of SARS (not including areas with secondary cases limited to health-care workers or direct household contacts)
(4b) close contact within 10 days of onset of symptoms with a person with a respiratory illness and travel to a SARS area
(4c) close contact within 10 days of onset of symptoms with a person under investigation or suspected of having SARS
where:
• Close contact includes one or more of the following: having cared for, lived with, having direct contact with respiratory secretions, and/or having direct contact with body fluids.
• The original SARS areas include Guangdong province of China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore.
• In many patients the respiratory symptoms are severe, resulting in respiratory failure and the need for ventilatory support.
Now that the presumed etiologic agent has been cultured and identified confirmatory tests for the diagnosis should be available shortly.
