Severe acute respiratory syndrome

Abstract

The Institute of Medicine in 1992 defined emerging infections as 'ʼnew, reemerging or drug-resistant infections whose incidence in humans has increased within the past two decades or whose incidence threatens to increase in the near future”(1). Recently, it has become evident that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging infection that can pose an important threat to the health of older adults. This chapter will focus on SARS and will summarize available evidence of the impact of these infections on older adults.