Outlook

The discovery of the SARS-associated coronavirus was the result of an unprecedented global collaborative exercise coordinated by the WHO (World Health Organization Multicentre Collaborative Network for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Diagnosis). The rapid success of this approach results from a collaborative effort – rather than a competitive approach – by high-level laboratory investigators making use of all available techniques, from cell culture through electron microscopy (Hazelton and Gelderblom) to molecular techniques, in order to identify a novel agent. It demonstrates how an extraordinarily well orchestrated effort may be able to address the threat of emerging infectious diseases in the 21st century (Hawkey). The SARS experience also sadly underlines that non-collaborative approaches may seriously impede scientific progress and sometimes have grave consequences (Enserink 2003b).

It may be surprising that despite the remarkable world-wide cooperative research efforts that allowed such significant progress in such a short time, the apparent success in ending the SARS outbreak (no new cases have been notified since 15 June 2003, suggesting that SARSCoV no longer circulates within the human population) is undoubtedly due to "old-fashioned" infection control measures.