Scientists have cracked the genetic sequence of the virus believed to cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The sequencing reveals a virus that began its life in an animal, then mutated before picking up the power to infect people.
This past weekend, researchers from the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, Canada, became the first to complete the DNA sequencing of the deadly virus. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, released its own sequencing results, confirming the Canadian findings that the mysterious disease probably originated in animals.
The epidemic has so far infected 3,169 people and killed at least 144. SARS originated in mainland China. While cases there may be declining, according to health officials, they seem to be on the rise in far-apart places like Hong Kong and Canada.
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