more off topic, sort of.......
cdc.gov
Coronavirus
What are coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have a halo or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under a microscope. These viruses are a common cause of mild to moderate upper-respiratory illness in humans and are associated with respiratory, gastrointestinal, liver and neurologic disease in animals.
What evidence is there to suggest that coronaviruses may be linked with SARS?
CDC scientists were able to isolate a virus from the tissues of two patients who had SARS and then used several laboratory methods to characterize the agent. Examination by electron microscopy revealed that the virus had the distinctive shape and appearance of coronaviruses. Tests of serum specimens from patients with SARS showed that the patients appeared to have recently been infected with this coronavirus. Other tests demonstrated that coronavirus was present in a variety of clinical specimens from patients, including nose and throat swabs. In addition, genetic analysis suggests that this new virus belongs to the family of coronaviruses, but differs from previously identified coronaviruses.
These laboratory results do not provide conclusive evidence that the new coronavirus is the cause of SARS. Additional specimens are being tested to learn more about this coronavirus and its link with SARS.
If coronaviruses usually cause mild illness in humans, how could this new coronavirus be responsible for a potentially life-threatening disease such as SARS?
There is not enough information about the new virus to determine the full range of illness that it might cause. Coronaviruses have occasionally been linked to pneumonia in humans, especially people with weakened immune systems. The viruses can also cause severe disease in animals, including cats, dogs, pigs, mice, and birds.
Have other laboratories found evidence of coronavirus in SARS patients?
CDC has been working with the World Health Organization (WHO), international partners at laboratory centers, and ministries of health in this investigation. Some of the laboratories participating in this WHO network have also reported positive results for the presence of coronavirus in specimens from SARS patients. Additional testing is under way at the WHO network laboratories.
What about reports from other laboratories suggesting that the cause of SARS may be a paramyxovirus?
Researchers from several laboratories participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) network have reported the identification of a paramyxovirus in clinical specimens from SARS patients. Laboratories in the WHO network are still investigating the possibility that a paramyxovirus is a cause of SARS. CDC has found no evidence to date of paramyxovirus in clinical specimens, but additional testing is under way. |
