In the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Toronto, Ontario, about 20% of cases resulted from household transmission (spread of the infection within a household).
Wilson-Clark and colleagues studied the characteristics of these household transmissions and report on risk factors that contributed to the spread of infection. Primary risk factors for transmission fall into 3 areas: the duration of time spent in the home by the index case (first case) after becoming ill, poor hand hygiene and poor use of respiratory protective measures.
SARS presented a unique public health situation, in which urgent prevention and control measures neededto be taken, while at the same time the identity of the infectious agent was unknown.
p. 1219 Household transmission of SARS, 2003
-- S.D. Wilson et al
http://www.cmaj.ca/pressrelease/pg1219.pdf
Canadian Medical Association Journal