Secondary SARS 20% of cases.A study of the severe acute respiratory syndrome Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Definition Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is the first emergent and highly transmissible viral disease to appear during the twenty-first century. , which attacked residents of Toronto in 2003, indicates that household transmission occurred in about 20% of the cases. A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal The Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) is a general medical journal that is published biweekly by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). It is considered to be one of the top six general medical journals; the others being the , Nov. 7, 2006, reports that secondary attack rates within households suggested the presence of specific factors and behaviours that may increase the risk of transmission in this setting. The report points to: * a linear association between the time the "index patient" (the initial patient) spent at home after symptom symptom /symp·tom/ (simp´tom) any subjective evidence of disease or of a patient's condition, i.e., such evidence as perceived by the patient; a change in a patient's condition indicative of some bodily or mental state. onset and the secondary attack rate; * lower rates of household transmission infected in·fect tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects 1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent. 2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to. 3. To invade and produce infection in. health care workers. The researchers found that the health status (i.e., existence or absence of an underlying illness) of the index case did not indicate the degree of transmission risk. Toronto Public Health identified 317 cases of SARS, occupying 220 households. 74 households participated in the study. The study group looked at the characteristics of the index case and physical dwelling place place of residence. See also: Dwelling , and the health status and behaviours of individual household members during the period of interest. Questions were asked about hands, use of preventive measures such as masks, types and duration of household contact with the index case, occupation and place of work, leisure activities and other social interactions where people may be within 1 metre of each other. Samantha Wilson-Clark, Region of Waterloo Waterloo, town, Belgium Waterloo (vä`tərlō), commune (1991 pop. 27,860), Walloon Brabant prov., central Belgium, near Brussels. The battle of Waterloo (see Waterloo campaign) was fought just south of there on June 18, 1815. Public Health, headed the study. wsamanth@region, waterloo, on. ca |
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