DEFINITIONS FOR SURVEILLANCE OF SARS AND LABORATORY METHODS FOR SARS DIAGNOSIS
| Case Definitions for Surveillance of SARS13 | |
|---|---|
| Suspect case | 1. Presenting after 1 November 2002 with history of: |
| High fever (>38°C) | |
| and | |
| Cough or difficulty breathing | |
| and | |
| Close contact with suspect or probable case of SARS, and/or | |
| Travel history to area with recent local SARS transmission, and/or | |
| Residing in area with recent local SARS transmission | |
| 2. Unexplained acute respiratory illness resulting in death after 1 November 2002, without autopsy | |
| and | |
| Close contact with suspect or probable case of SARS, and/or | |
| Travel history to area with recent local SARS transmission, and/or | |
| Residing in area with recent local SARS transmission | |
| Probable case | 1. Suspect case with infiltrates consistent with pneumonia or respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) on chest x-ray |
| 2. Suspect case positive for SARS coronavirus by 1 or more assays | |
| 3. Suspect case with autopsy findings consistent with RDS without identifiable cause | |
| Use of Laboratory Methods for SARS Diagnosis14 | |
| Positive SARS diagnostic test | a) Confirmed positive PCR for SARS virus |
| At least 2 different clinical specimens (eg, nasopharyngeal and stool), or | |
| Same clinical specimen collected on 2 or more days during illness (eg, 2 or more nasopharyngeal aspirates), or | |
| Two different assays or repeat PCR using original clinical sample on each occasion | |
| b) Seroconversion by ELISA or IFA | |
| Negative antibody test on acute serum followed by positive antibody test on convalescent serum, or | |
| Four-fold or greater rise in antibody titer between acute and convalescent phase sera tested in parallel | |
| c) Virus isolation | |
| Isolation in cell culture of SARS CoV from any specimen, plus PCR confirmation using validated method | |