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 summary

• 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 for public health units

• 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