The outbreak of atypical pneumonia, with the first cases appearing in Asia, in just a few weeks has become headline news around the world, largely because the illness remains a mystery, because it is potentially deadly, is highly contagious, and seems to like air travel.

-

The WHO is coordinating efforts to provide epidemiological, clinic and logistical support for the countries where the disease is most prevalent. A mission from this United Nations agency traveled to China in early April to try to find the origins of this atypical pneumonia, which in a matter of weeks has claimed more than 100 lives around the world, though mostly in Asia.

News of the outbreak of this illness immediately had an impact on the Internet. Web sites with information on SARS have proliferated, as evidenced by a specialized directory of links set up in Canada, the country outside of Asia that has reported most cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control web site states that patients with SARS can transmit the disease to others through casual contact. It is known how long before or after the symptoms appear that a SARS patient is contagious.

A special Internet site of the Government of Hong Kong, one of the areas hardest hit by the disease, calls upon citizens to take precautionary measures to avoid contracting the illness, such as wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth.

The continued spread of the disease and rising death toll have filled the news, leading the New York Times to set up a special section on SARS, while the Yahoo! directory is replete with information and Google gives web surfers some 50,000 results to choose from to satisfy curiosity about the illness