Side-by-side comparison
| HPS | SARS | |
|---|---|---|
| Pathogen | SARS-CoV-1 (Coronaviridae) | Sin Nombre / Andes virus (Hantaviridae) |
| Reservoir | Bats (likely), civets | Rodents (deer mouse, rice rat) |
| Person-to-person | Yes — efficient nosocomial spread | Almost never (Andes exception) |
| Hallmark severe symptom | ARDS, respiratory failure | Pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock |
| Incubation | 2–10 days | 1–8 weeks |
| CFR | ~10% (2003 outbreak) | ~36% |
| 2003 global cases | ~8 000 | n/a |
| Vaccine | No (research stalled after 2003) | No (Americas) |
The "could this be SARS?" question of 1993
In May 1993 a cluster of unexplained respiratory deaths in young, healthy adults in the Four Corners region triggered intense investigation; some early hypotheses considered novel respiratory viruses comparable to what would later become SARS. CDC virologists isolated Sin Nombre virus within weeks and the case for hantavirus was settled. The episode prefigured the kind of rapid pathogen identification that would matter again in 2003 (SARS) and 2020 (COVID-19).