How is SARS transmitted?

History of SARS and the 2003 Outbreak

It is believed that the disease was initially transferred to humans through civets, a mammal with a cat-like appearance. The SARS outbreak actually began in November 2002 in the Guangdong province of mainland China. However, to preserve public confidence, the Chinese government did not inform the World Health Organization (WHO) of the outbreak until February 2003.

Between November 2002 and June 2003, 8098 people contracted the virus and 774 would die from it worldwide. Since June 2003 there have been several SARS cases reported, either from people who came into contact with it in laboratories or in the wild (probably directly from civets) but the outbreak has been contained. No cases have been reported since mid-2004. By the end of the epidemic, cases had been reported in more than 25 countries, reaching every continent except for South America and Antarctica.