Articles: coronavirus.
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Although the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has been sequenced and a possible animal reservoir identified, seroprevalence studies and mass screening for detection of subclinical and non-pneumonic infections are still lacking. ⋯ Our findings support the existence of subclinical or non-pneumonic SARS-CoV infections. Such infections are more common than SARS-CoV pneumonia in our locality.
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The causative agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. Here, we have investigated the ability of adenoviral delivery of codon-optimised SARS-CoV strain Urbani structural antigens spike protein S1 fragment, membrane protein, and nucleocapsid protein to induce virus-specific broad immunity in rhesus macaques. ⋯ All vaccinated animals showed strong neutralising antibody responses to SARS-CoV infection in vitro. These results show that an adenoviral-based vaccine can induce strong SARS-CoV-specific immune responses in the monkey, and hold promise for development of a protective vaccine against the SARS causal agent.
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Emerging Infect. Dis. · Nov 2003
Coronavirus-positive nasopharyngeal aspirate as predictor for severe acute respiratory syndrome mortality.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has caused a major epidemic worldwide. A novel coronavirus is deemed to be the causative agent. ⋯ The RT-PCR-positive patients had significantly more shortness of breath, a lower lymphocyte count, and a lower lactate dehydrogenase level; they were also more likely to have bilateral and multifocal chest radiograph involvement, to be admitted to intensive care, to need mechanical ventilation, and to have higher mortality rates. By multivariate analysis, positive RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal aspirate samples was an independent predictor of death within 30 days.
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The outbreak of SARS warrants the search for antiviral compounds to treat the disease. At present, no specific treatment has been identified for SARS-associated coronavirus infection. ⋯ Of all the compounds, glycyrrhizin was the most active in inhibiting replication of the SARS-associated virus. Our findings suggest that glycyrrhizin should be assessed for treatment of SARS.