COMEDK 2007 MCQ Answer 74

The correct answer is C

In March 2003, a Chinese-American businessman died in Vietnam from a severe flu-like illness. Soon after, reports of a new disease, then termed "atypical pneumonia," made headlines around the world.

The first cases of SARS probably arose in November 2002 in Foshan City, located in the Guangdong Province of China. The Chinese government did not publicize the outbreak right away, however. In February 2003, the Chinese Ministry of Health reported 305 cases, with five fatalities, of a disease that quickly deteriorated the patient's health and evolved to respiratory failure. About one third of those affected were health care providers.

SARS first gained attention outside of China in March 2003, when Dr. Carlo Urbani, a WHO official based in Vietnam, reported several cases of "atypical pneumonia" at the hospital where he worked. The first of these cases was the Chinese-American businessman. Following these reports, the WHO was finally able to trace the disease and account for its spread across so many countries. On March 29, Dr. Urbani himself died of SARS.