SARS

SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS CoV). It was the first severe and readily transmissible disease of the 21st century. It is believed to have originated in southern China in the closing weeks of 2002. From there it crossed into Hong Kong (China) in February 2003. In just a few days it leapt to Viet Nam, Singapore, Canada and Germany, and then beyond. From November 2002 to July 2003, a cumulative total of more than 8098 probable SARS cases with more than 774 deaths were reported in 26 countries—the vast majority of them in the Western Pacific.

In response to this threat, WHO's Western Pacific Regional Office in Manila set out to contain and control the outbreaks: to support the health care infrastructure in affected countries; to help vulnerable countries prepare for the possible arrival of the virus; and to provide the latest information to health officials and address public concerns.

By early July 2003, when WHO declared that human-to-human transmission of the virus had been broken, those objectives had been met.