Abstract: Objective To evaluate the direct and indirect health costs of clinically diagnosed SARS patients in Guangzhou,to establish methods far evaluation of disease burden of acute infectious disease and to provide scientific evidence for the formulation of disease prevention and controlling measures.Methods Relevant information of the confirmed cases in 2003 SARS epidemic was collected.A standard questionnaire survey was conducted among patients who agreed to be investigated.Disease-adjusted life years(DALYs)and loss of work hours were converted into economic indices through human capital method for further evaluation.Immaterial losses caused by SARS epidemic were also analyzed.Results Of the 1059 SARS patients investigated,the mean hospitalization cost amounted to RMB ￥20 263.56 per person.The average daily hospitalization cost was RMB￥1 160.57 per person.Results of the questionnaire survey among 339 SARS patients showed that the mean outpatient cost was RMB￥463.43 per person,the mesxl follow-up examination cost was RMB￥848.28 per person,and expenses for nutriments and medicines purchased by the patients themselves averaged RMB￥2 646.91.Based on the above calculation.the direct health costs of SARS averaged RMB￥24221.31 per person.As 1 283 casesofsARS occurredin Guangzhou in 2003.the direct health costs attributable to SARS totaled to RMB￥31 075 900.The years of life lost due to premature mortality of SARS(YLb)were 654.71,with 306.19 for males and 348.52 for females.When YLL s were converted into economic indices by human capital method,the total economic loss amounted to RMB￥14 894 300 with RMB ￥6 874 600 for males and RMB￥8 019 700 for females.The length of work hour lost of the patients who survived averaged 51.76 days.When converted into economic indices.the total economic 10ss amounted to RMB￥5 774 800 with RⅣ皿￥2 603 100 for males and RMB￥3 177 000 for females.Based on the above calculation.the indirect health costs were RMB￥9477 700 for males and RMB￥11 196 700 for females.The total was RMB￥20 674-400.Thus the difeet and indirect health costs of the clinically diagnosed SARS patients totaled to RMB ￥51750 300 and the averaage was RMB￥ 40300 perperson.Conclusion The outbreak of SARS did increase the direct and indirecthealth costs to patients.