Research
Using patient-collected clinical samples and sera to detect and quantify the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)
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* Corresponding author: Dominic E Dwyer dominic_dwyer@wmi.usyd.edu.au
1 Beijing Ditan Hospital, Beijing 100011, People's Republic of China
2 Capital University of Medical Sciences Affiliated Beijing YouAn Hospital, Beijing 100054, People's Republic of China
3 Department of Microbiology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China
4 Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
Virology Journal 2007, 4:32 doi:10.1186/1743-422X-4-32
Published: 27 March 2007Abstract
Background
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused a large outbreak of pneumonia in Beijing, China, in 2003. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect and quantify SARS-CoV in 934 sera and self-collected throat washes and fecal samples from 271 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS managed at a single institution.
Results
SARS-CoV detection rates in sera were highest in the first 9 days of illness, whereas detection was highest in throat washes 5–14 days after onset of symptoms. The highest SARS-CoV RT-PCR rates (70.4–86.3%) and viral loads (log10 4.5–6.1) were seen in fecal samples collected 2–4 weeks after the onset of clinical illness. Fecal samples were frequently SARS-CoV RT-PCR positive beyond 40 days, and occasional sera still had SARS-CoV detected after 3 weeks of illness.
Conclusion
In the context of an extensive outbreak with major pressure on hospital resources, patient self-collected samples are an alternative to nasopharyngeal aspirates for laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV infection.