I live in Hong Kong so I am fairly well versed in this whole thing.
SARS or Atypical Pneumonia did not originate with chickens, not has it anything to do with salmonella.
It did first seem to appear in Guangdong (Southern China) and due to the proximity to Hong Kong spread to Hong Kong fairly rapidly. The first small outbreak occured in one of the hospitals here after a patient was admitted with what apppeared to be simple pneumonia. After a numer of other patients in the ward came doen with it the authorities started analysing where the original infection came from. An apartment building here was identified as the most likely ground zero for the virus arriving in Hong Kong, with a large number of residents now having been diagnosed with the illness.
It is called SARS because it causes sever acute respiratory difficulty. The virus has been identified and a vaccine is being tested but it might take a while before its deemed safe for humans. However the only ones really at major risk are the elderly, very young children and the already sick. A high percentage of the people infected here have fully recovered including 9 medical staff amongst the first to get sick.
It has also been shown that the severity of the illness depends uopn the amount of virus you are exposed to, so if for example you touch an elevator button after an infected person has touched it, then rub your eye you will likely only receive a very mild dose. A mild dose has been shown to cause sore throats and other minor symptoms. Not too had for your own immune system to fight and in the process give you natural immunity. Having someone sneeze or cough virus droplets on you will lead to a much higher exposure to the virus and the potential for a more severe case.
Hong Kong has been taking major precautions since it first appeared, all schools have been closed for a week (still shut) and companies with infected staff members have shut down and given all staff, sick or not, paid sick leave.
Those persons needing to go out in public are mostly wearing level 3 grade surgical masks to minimise the spread of the virus.
The virus so far appears not to be airborne but is spread by droplets and the virus can live outside the body for 3 hours.
Whilst it is still a serious issue its not worth panicking about.
If I were you I'd wory more about Muslims coming after you.
If anyone needs any further info I suggest you look here
SARS info
Pervy