SARS may spread through sweat

Researchers in China say studies suggest the SARS virus may spread more easily than previously thought.

SARS may spread through sweatResearchers in China say studies suggest the SARS virus may spread more easily than previously thought.Findings by pathologists from the First Military Medical University in Guangzhou, southern China, have been published in the British Journal of Pathology. They show that the SARS virus has been found in sweat glands and the intestine.The researchers say this means that in theory, the disease may spread via contaminated sewage, food or even a handshake, not just by airborne droplets.They say if these findings are backed by further research, it could have major implications for public health.The researchers found that up to 49 per cent of lung tissue of SARS victims had been infected with the virus. This is an expected result because the virus is carried by droplets expelled in sneezes and coughs.However, the authors say the coronavirus was also detected in many other organs and tissues, including the stomach, small intestine, sweat glands, pancreas, adrenal glands, liver and brain.Primary targetLead researcher Ding Yangqing says that, like the respiratory tract, the gastro-intestinal system could be “a primary target” for the virus.”This suggests that the gastro-intestinal system may also be an entry route for SARS-CoV [if it is] present in food or water,” Ding said.”Although there is no report of such transmission, caution should be exercised by the at-risk population during the SARS-CoV endemic season. This finding supports the hypothesis that SARS-CoV may be released into the environment via faeces from individuals” with the disease.As viral traces were found in the kidneys, urine may also theoretically transmit the disease.Leaking sewage has been linked with Hong Kong’s biggest outbreak of SARS. A total of 321 people, living in 15 blocks in the Amoy Gardens high-rise housing estate in Kowloon, fell sick in March and April last year.Ding also noted that the virus had, for the first time, been found in sweat gland cells in the skin.”This suggests another route of transmission for SARS-CoV, since this virus may be excreted in sweat and infect other people who are in direct contact with the patient’s skin,” Ding said.The repercussions for public health may be far-reaching, the study warns.If, for instance, skin contact is confirmed as a transmission route, it would mean that SARS patients may have to wear gloves, disposable gowns and eye goggles, in addition to a full N95 face mask, to avoid kissing or touching other people.SARS last year caused almost 800 deaths worldwide from some 8,000 infections, most of them in China and Southeast Asia, before it was halted by quarantine policies. There is still no cure or a vaccine.In a smaller outbreak linked to handling of the virus in a laboratory, nine people have been diagnosed with the disease in China in the past few weeks, prompting the Chinese authorities to isolate hundreds of people.(Source: AFP, ABC Health News, May 2004)