Infection Control Today Magazine

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Slide Show: SARS 10 Years Later

A look back at severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the global microbial threat that resulted in more than 8,000 cases and nearly 800 deaths in 30-plus countries. ...More
April 12, 2013
Posted in Galleries
UNC, Vanderbilt Discover a New Live Vaccine Approach for SARS and Novel Coronaviruses

Rapid mutation has long been considered a key to viral adaptation to environmental change. But in the case of the coronavirus responsible for deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), collaborating researchers at the University of North Carolina and Vanderbilt ...More
November 13, 2012
Posted in News
New Research Aims to Shut Down Viral Assembly Line

Under the electron microscope, a coronavirus may resemble a spiny sea urchin or appear crownlike, (the shape from which this family of pathogens takes its name). Previously recognized as the second leading cause of the common cold in humans and for economically important ...More
January 11, 2011
Posted in News
Compounds Show Positive Effect Against SARS Virus

Tamir Biotechnology, Inc. announces that scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) confirmed that testing of two of the company's compounds Onconase (Ranpirnase), and recombinant Amphinase 2 showed positive in vitro results ...More
July 21, 2010
Posted in News
Virus Survival on Surfaces May be Affected by Temperature and Humidity

The SARS coronavirus (CoV) may survive on surfaces for days at temperature and humidity levels common to indoor environments say researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They report their findings in the May 2010 issue of the journal Applied and ...More
May 14, 2010
Posted in News
Cost-Effectiveness of the Hospital Infection Control Response

When it comes to preventing the spread of respiratory infections in a hospital, is it better to adopt the most stringent measures possible or a more moderate approach? One might assume it's best to go with the strictest measures possible, but what if prevention comes with a ...More
November 9, 2009
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
Two-Pronged Protein Attack Could be Source of SARS Virulence

Ever since the previously unknown SARS virus emerged from southern China in 2003, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston virologists have focused on finding the source of the pathogen's virulence — its ability to cause disease. In the 2003 epidemic, ...More
October 29, 2009
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
USAID Launches Emerging Pandemic Threats Program

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching an Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) program that builds on the successes of the Agency's long-standing programs in disease surveillance, training, and outbreak response, particularly those addressing ...More
October 22, 2009
Posted in News
Should Noninvasive Ventilation be Considered a High-Risk Procedure During an Epidemic?

Contrary to current policies recommending that noninvasive ventilation be avoided during an infectious outbreak, the author of a commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal argues that it should be used expeditiously in this setting. Noninvasive ventilation uses ...More
October 13, 2009
Posted in News
Most H1N1 Patients With Respiratory Failure Treated With Oxygenating System Survive Illness

Despite the severity of disease and the intensity of treatment, most patients in Australia and New Zealand who experienced respiratory failure as a result of 2009 influenza A(H1N1) and were treated with a system that adds oxygen to the patient’s blood survived the ...More
October 12, 2009
Posted in News