Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease in humans that was first recognised in south east Asia in February 2003. Given the disturbing features associated with the disease, its emergence prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue the first global health alert for over a decade. The causative agent has now been identified as a new strain of coronavirus. Important knowledge on the aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, pathogenesis, epidemiology, disease treatment and infection control have accumulated with amazing speed, though major gaps of understanding remain. The race to develop new cures and effective vaccines is on. Long-term consequences on health, society and economics are beginning to unravel. The multifaceted nature of the new epidemic has, however, heightened the need for a comprehensive and authoritative reference book on SARS with wide readership potential.