'Severe acute respiratory syndrome' (SARS) in perspectief

- In the Netherlands, the risk of an outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) appears to be limited, if people in contact with a possibly imported case observe strict measures to prevent contamination. SARS may well be a zoonosis. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and outbreaks of virus infections in the bioindustry, such as swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and classical avian influenza, have led to massive killing of cattle, swine and fowl in the Netherlands. The possibility that the bioindustry constitutes a risky microbiological ‘experiment’ makes a discussion as to its future in the Netherlands urgent.