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April 14, 2003

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Lab Decodes Genes of Virus Suspected in Lethal Outbreak"

New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (04/14/03) P. A1; McNeil, Donald G. Jr.

Scientists at the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver say they have decoded the genetic code of the virus thought to cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which will aid in the development of a diagnostic test and a vaccine.  One scientist said that the genome appears to be that of a new coronavirus that is not related to any known viruses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also working on the sequence but is not yet finished; multiple sequencing lets the scientists check each others' work.  Dr. James Hughes, head of the national center for infectious disease at the CDC, noted there is no way to know how much the decoding will reduce the time it will take to create a test or a vaccine.  There are already rapid tests for other coronaviruses, so researchers are confident one can be developed for this apparent new strain relatively quickly; however, developing a vaccine will likely be more difficult, and Hughes said he does not expect to see a marketable one within 12 months.

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