Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Statutory notification

• SARS is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the Public Health Unit (Healthy WA) within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• See notifiable communicable disease case definitions (PDF 869KB).
• Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB) or regional residents (PDF 209KB).
• For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of Statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health management

Important information

• Infectious agent: SARS-associated coronavirus.
• Transmission: Person to person by close contact with respiratory secretions or body fluids of an infected person.
• Incubation period: From 3 to 10 days.
• Infectious period: After onset of symptoms and maximum period of communicability is less than 21 days.
• Case exclusion: Isolate the patient.
• Contact exclusion: Voluntary isolation at home with active surveillance.
• Treatment: Varies according to symptoms, refer to doctor.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case and contact follow up: Is conducted by Public Health Units and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.

Guidelines

The Australian government Department of Health guidelines and protocols for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) (external site)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• Infectious disease data