Presse Med
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Given that viruses may not have adapted to human-to-human transmission during their initial emergence in humans, they may thus be easier to control; accordingly, early detection by surveillance of unusual outbreaks is essential. Our healthcare systems are very vulnerable to viruses with a particular tropism for hospital personnel. International collaboration by teams of epidemiologists as well as virologists was the key to success against SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). ⋯ It was thus possible to isolate cases before they became contagious. SARS provided a good "dress rehearsal" and educated the public authorities about the issues of infectious pandemics. The specific types of new epidemics cannot be predicted but they are inevitable.