The New Year holiday is a season for travel. It is at this time, when many people and goods are moving across national borders, that an outbreak of infectious disease becomes more likely. This winter's first case of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) was confirmed in Taiwan on Dec. 17. This was a rather special case because the patient is a medical researcher who became infected through a mistake of his own. But it still goes to show that a full-scale outbreak of the viral respiratory illness could happen at any time or place.
While countermeasures are being taken to prevent diseases from penetrating the country at points of entry, individuals must also take all necessary precautions. It seems that the researcher in Taiwan was infected while disposing of a spilled virus sample. He then attended a conference in Singapore, where he began to feel unwell. A diagnosis of SARS was confirmed after he returned home. Although it does not appear his infection spread to fellow airline passengers, the incident demonstrates that even those who have detailed knowledge of the virus can still put themselves and others in danger through careless behavior.
A similar incident took place in September, when a Singaporean researcher became infected with SARS. Such cases cannot be chalked up to simple error and swept under the carpet. If such an incident takes place outside a research facility, there is a danger that the response to contain the infection might be much slower. Preservation and research of the virus are essential for the development of drugs and vaccines. Here in Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's instructions to such research institutes to take utmost care to ensure safety cannot be overly emphasized.