Abstract
The case fatality was the lowest (3.8%) among 1512 cases with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong Province, China. Rational use of corticosteroid, noninvasive ventilation and the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine may partly have contributed to the lowest fatality figure. There was a close linkage between civet cats and humans in terms of transmission of SARS. Strict control of the wildanimal market may be significant in preventing a new outbreak of SARS this year.