After SARS: A New Virus in Saudi Arabia Underscores the Need to Police Disease in Animals

By: Bryan Walsh

In 2003, there was a coronavirus spreading that began in Hong Kong. This virus was very dangerous as it spread rapidly and had no cure. This virus spread rapidly as people took trips on airplanes, taxis, and rode trains. It was passed from human to human easily, but where did it really come from? It was later proven that this SARS disease was from a bat. This is very important because some animals expose many humans to diseases that could kill them. Right now in Saudi Arabia, there is a new pathogen that is very similar to the SARS virus. At least 15 people have been infected and more than have of those people died. Some methods I would choose to fix these problems is to quarantine the patients when there is a new strand of disease until more about the disease is found and until there is a known cure. This could only fail if the person dies before it can be found but it also keeps others from being exposed to this disease. I think that this is very scary because I think about the number of people I interact with and the number of things I touch daily and how many diseases are being passed along. 

http://science.time.com/2013/03/19/after-sars-a-new-virus-in-saudi-arabia-underscores-the-need-to-police-disease-in-animals/