SARS Epidemic in China

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak was first observed in early 2003. Medical communities believed the outbreak originated in southern China. In March 2003 in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada, cases with similar symptoms were reported by individuals who had recently traveled to China. It became a significant concern throughout the world when medical officials observed that people developed symptoms after a visit to China, resulting in local outbreaks. Fear spread throughout the world because not much was known about the disease. There was no known cause, no sure means of distinguishing the disease, no known successful treatment, and a lack of information on its incubation period.

The creator of the map hoped to find some clues about the spread of the disease by interpreting statistical data from medical communities and displaying the data geographically. The data, provided by the Chinese Ministry of Health, was collected from the World Health Organization Web site. The purpose of the map was to develop a statistical analysis of the data provided. The map shows only a preliminary review of data, visually identifying patterns and trends of movements. The accuracy of the data is unknown because reporting methods are not clear.

Reproduced with the permission of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, United States Department of Defense. This publication has not been approved, endorsed, or otherwise authorized by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Department of Defense (10 U.S.C. §425).