Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Essay Example

Different studies have suggested that virus stability in a different environment may contribute to the success of its spread. Apart from the prevalent mode of transmission through droplet suspension, fecal-oral mode of transmission has been shown to occur and thereby contribute to the spreading of the disease. Fecal-oral transmission is possible since it has been demonstrated that the virus can survive in the stool for 4 days. Due to the nature of profuse watery diarrhea in SARS patients, the SARS virus may be present in feces thereby propagating fecal-oral transmission and fecal-respiratory transmission. This has been mentioned as one of the characteristics of SARS that enabled the virus to spread in an apartment complex in Hong Kong (Peiris et al., 2003).

SARS is commonly transmitted via droplets and close personal contact, factors that enhance its faster spread once an incidence has been established (Seto et al., 2003). The stability of the coronavirus for days in the environment such as in the stool also raises the incidences or possibilities of fomite transmission as a significant mode of transmission of SARS.  The ability of this coronavirus to cause diarrhea also aids in the transmission of the disease. It should be noted that normal stool has low pH as compared to stool from patients suffering from diarrhea as a result of SARS. The high pH (low acidity) ensures the virus is able to survive and contaminate feces for up to four days. Therefore the ability of the SARS virus to be spread from different routes namely in feces, respiratory secretions, and even in urine renders the coronavirus more advanced in its ability to spread very fast.

            The severity of the disease is a result of being able to affect the whole respiratory system from the nose to the lungs. This is followed by a high fever exceeding 38°C with acute breathlessness, coughing, and sneezing. Acute breathlessness is a result of the accumulation of fluids in the alveoli. The SARS virus rapidly replicates in the alveoli which are now filled with fluid and are further compressed by adjacent swollen tissues causing hypoxia. The patient succumbs to death due to lung failure (Puri, 2003).

Therefore, the severity of SARS can be attributed to the events occurring in the lungs and specifically the alveoli causing an incomplete shut down of the breathing process. The virulence of the SARS virus ensures it spreads faster principally through deadly sputum droplets which occur through close personal contact. The severity of the disease is also attributed to its relatively short incubation period which can be as short as 2 days to a maximum of 2 weeks.

In this review, important characteristics of the virus are highlighted such as the mode of transmission and pathogenesis which influences the severity of the disease. The principal mode of transmission which is airborne droplets consisting of the deadly viruses causes the SARS virus to be a potent killer coupled to its relatively short incubation period. This is further aided by the modern ease of travel ensuring the disease is able to spread from its epicenter for example the case of infection at Hong Kong airport in 2003 to a different destination.

The stability of the virus outside the human body is another feature of the virus that ensures its successful transmission to the susceptible human host. It has been documented in several kinds of literary works that it can survive on fomites such as doorknobs, phones, and other objects for several days, therefore, ensuring that it spreads very fast. In addition, having been documented that it can survive in stool and urine makes it possible to have a fecal-oral and a fecal-respiratory transmission which necessities observation of high hygiene standards in areas where cases have been reported.

            The principal mode of transmission of the spread of SARS is through air droplets makes the virus potentially scare travelers since one infected individual may spread the disease very faster. Since the virus affects the respiratory causing lung failure and the virus can survive in suspended air droplets causes the traveler to cancel their travel programs due to the highly successful model of transmission employed by SARS and coupled to its potential complication leading to death if treatment is not sought earlier.

Therefore, it becomes sensible for travelers to withhold their travel following the announcement of an outbreak as it becomes quite difficult to curb its spread as personal contact may prove difficult to curb.

In conclusion, severe acute respiratory syndrome virus is a highly infective etiological agent engaging different modes of transmission which is aided by its stability or survival in other environments outside the human body. This makes fomite transmission possible and thereby increasing the probability of disease spread to a large population if high hygiene practices are not observed properly. However, the principal mode of transmission remains to be air droplets, and the severity of the diseases is a result of the virus replicating in the alveoli system causing accumulation of fluids that prevents normal respiratory gas exchange.