Why Are People Suddenly Ill?
What Is This New Disease?
- Is it a virus?
- Is it a bacteria?
- Is it from a natural source?
- Is it from a hostile attack?
In 2002, a growing number of people suddenly became
ill with an unknown condition. The outbreak, which seemed
to begin in East Asia, came to be known as Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.
Identifying infectious agents quickly is a goal of public
health response. But growing cultures and identifying
strains is a time-consuming process.
The identification of the cause of SARS provides an
example of the great speed that modern DNA sequencing
has brought to the detection of infectious diseases.
In this case, a new tool that uses the wealth of available
DNA sequence information was used to identify the SARS
disease agent as a strain of coronavirus in just 24 hours.
This information guided public health researchers to
the source of the SARS virus in wild animals. This DNA
technique can be used to rapidly detect and identify
new outbreaks, whether they stem from natural sources
or criminal activity, thereby saving many lives.
The following sections describe how DNA evidence was
used to identify the source of SARS.
Streamling the Process
Identify the Disease
Finding the Source
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Identify the Disease
A new tool that uses the wealth of available DNA sequence information was used to identify the SARS disease agent as a strain of coronavirus in just 24 hours. See if you can identify the disease in this activity.
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