{mosimage}In February 2003, the first cases of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) were reported in Asia. Within a few months, it had traversed the globe, spreading to more than two dozen countries on four continents killing 774 of the 8,098 people it infected.
Even though the SARS outbreak was contained, it served as a grim reminder that in the modern world, no corner of the earth is truly remote. Due to the rapid and constant movement of people and commodities, pathogens can hitch rides on airplanes and boats, slipping across national borders unnoticed. The key to interrupting these pathogen journeys is early detection of the disease as close to the source as possible.
