Tags: Disease.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in southern China caused an eventual 8273 cases and 775 deaths reported in multiple countries with the majority of cases in Hong Kong. (9.6% fatality rate) according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Within weeks SARS spread from Hong Kong to infect individuals in 37 countries in early 2003.
