Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Caused By . The lung tissues become inflamed and scarred. SARS-CoV is thought to be an animal virus from an as-yet-uncertain animal reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to other animals (civet cats) and It appears to have occurred mainly during the second week of illness, which corresponds to the peak of virus excretion in respiratory secretions and stool. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Research Paper ... (Blake Logan) This disease is notifiable in the UK - see NOIDs article for more detail. Read about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a highly contagious, serious and potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia. Hospitals and international travel proved to be. The virus that causes SARS had never been seen in humans before. Severe acute respiratory syndrome, better known by its acronym SARS, is an atypical form of pneumonia. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SAR...