Investigating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a newly recognized illness that can be fatal. The purpose of this study is to better understand SARS by collecting samples of blood and other body fluids of people who have been exposed to SARS or who are suspected to have the illness. Up to 300 volunteers aged 18 years or older will be enrolled in this study. Participants will donate blood samples and, if appropriate, samples of fluid from the lungs, nose, or throat. Researchers will test these samples for proteins that control or mediate inflammatory or immune responses. The patterns of these proteins will reveal how SARS affects the body and the efforts the body makes to fight off the infection.