Scientists in Hong Kong have discovered people with a certain pattern of genes have a much higher risk of getting SARS, a finding that could help diagnose and prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
A study of SARS patients in Hong Kong showed individuals with a pattern known as HLA-B*0703 were four times as likely to contract the respiratory disease, said Paul Chan, an associate professor in microbiology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Those with a pattern labeled HLA-DRBI*0301 had a much lower risk, indicating genetic make-up may play a key role in determining if some people are more susceptible to the virus than others.
“Our findings from this study will help us more accurately diagnose the disease and design effective prevention programs,” Chan said on Thursday.
“For example, we could test an unproven vaccine or prevention method on the high-risk group. Hospitals may also consider sending only low-risk health workers to take care of SARS patients,” he said.
Another Hong Kong scientist said on Wednesday it was a new variety of the SARS virus that had emerged in China and it appeared to be less contagious than the strain last year.
Both are believed to be from the same family of coronaviruses, which also cause the common cold.