With a new SARS case reported in Taiwan, the health ministry has issued an alert to research institutes and local governments to be extremely careful when handling samples of the virus for research purposes.
The warning comes after two recent cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome -- one in Singapore in September and the other announced Wednesday in Taiwan -- which are believed to be the result of handling laboratory samples of the virus.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry notified research institutes under its jurisdiction and will ask the science ministry to do the same.