| Characteristic | SARS-Cov | H5N1 | H1N1 | H7N9 |
| Country of origin | China | China | Mexico | China |
| 1st case in China | Guangdong, November 2002 | Hong Kong, May 1997 | Sichuan, May 2009 | Shanghai, February 2013 |
| Viral genome | Positive-sense, ss RNA | Negative-sense, ss segmented RNA | Negative-sense, ss segmented RNA | Negative-sense, ss segmented RNA |
| Pathogen identification | WHO declared SARS-Cov as the pathogen, April 16, 2003 | National Influenza Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK; CDC, USA, August 1997 | CDC, USA, April 15, 2009 | CDC, China, March 29, 2013 |
| Epidemiology in China | 5,341 cases 349 deaths DR, 6.5% | 47 cases 30 deaths DR, 63.8% | 128,966 cases 891 deaths DR, 0.6% | 349 cases 136 deaths DR, 38.9% |
| Human-to-human transmission | Yes | Limited | Yes | Limited |
| Genesis/source | Bats | Domestic poultry | Swines | Domestic poultry |
| Diagnostics in China | Real-time PCR | ELISA/real-time PCR | ELISA/real-time PCR | Real-time PCR |
| Drugs in China | No specific medication | Oseltamivir, amantadine, and rimantadine; TCM | Oseltamivir and zanamivir; TCM | Oseltamivir and zanamivir; TCM |
| Vaccines in China | Inactivated vaccine Phase I clinical trials finished in 2004 | Inactivated vaccine approved in 2008 for storage, not for public sale | Inactivated vaccine approved for market in 2009 | Inactivated vaccine approved for clinical trial in 2014 |
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