Severe acute respiratory syndrome: identification of the etiological agent

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged in late 2002 in southern China and rapidly spread to countries around the globe. Three research groups within a World Health Organization (WHO)-coordinated network have independently and simultaneously shown that a novel coronavirus is linked to SARS. A fourth group has completed the Koch's postulates by infecting monkeys with the agent. Sequencing of the complete genome was achieved only weeks after the first isolate of the virus became available.