Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

The classical technique of virus cultivation in cell culture along with electron microscopy successfully identified a virus associated with the recent SARS outbreak. Thereafter, genome sequencing of cultivated clinical material structures from the first SARS cases confirmed the virus to be new. Viral genes were detected in lung tissue but also in kidney and liver tissue. The new SARS virus has been allocated into a new grouping of its own. The other three groupings are the human coronavirus 229E and porcine epidemic diarrhoea (group I); bovine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus and human coronavirus OC43 (group II); and avian infectious bronchitis (group III).

Serologically, human antibodies to the two human viruses, 229E and OC43, do not cross react with the new virus. The rapidity of modern molecular techniques, however, has led to the development of new diagnostic tests for the virus by using RT-PCR (Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) and serological tests that are done within 6 weeks of the first virus isolation.

The SARS virus is new to the human community and different from the classic human coronaviruses. Thus, it would unexpectedly appear, that a novel Coronavirus had emerged in South East Asia, which causes pneumonia in patients and has a rather high mortality rate of 14%. Subsequently, the new virus has spread to 30 countries, including the UK.

The virus, unlike current human strains, can be grown in the laboratory on monkey kidney cells such as Vero cells. Retroscreen Virology Ltd has a high security P3 laboratory to carry out in-vitro experiments (antiviral screening and development of vaccines) on the new virus.

Publications

Oxford, J.S., Bossuyt, S. and Lambkin, R. (2003). A new infectious disease challenge: Urbani severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) associated coronavirus. Immunology; 109:326-28.

Oxford JS, Balasingam S, Chan C, Catchpole A, Lambkin R. New antiviral drugs, vaccines and classic public health interventions against SARS coronavirus.
Antivir Chem Chemother. 2005;16(1):13-21.

Oxford JS, Lambkin R, Gibb I, Balasingam S, Chan C, Catchpole A. A throat lozenge containing amyl meta cresol and dichlorobenzyl alcohol has a direct virucidal effect on respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and SARS-CoV.
Antivir Chem Chemother. 2005;16(2):129-34.

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