Early Life of Jacques Cartier. 1  Cartier was born in 1491 in Saint-Malo. During his early childhood he would hear stories of the great Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and the exploits of the Spanish Conquistadors. 2  His homeland France was relatively inactive in the exploits of the New World.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
Causes. SARS is caused by a member of the coronavirus family of viruses (the same family that can cause the common cold). It is believed the 2003 epidemic started when the virus spread from small mammals in China.