Since AIDS was discovered in 1981, shattering the illusion that mankind had won the battle against infectious diseases, they have posed an ever growing danger. Modern medicine has proven ill-equipped to cope with infectious diseases caused by new viruses as well as old diseases that have staged a comeback. The SARS virus is the latest attack by microorganisms.
自從一九八一年愛滋病首度躍上西方醫學舞台、粉碎了「人類已全面戰勝傳染病」的幻象後，二十多年來，傳染病對人類的威脅正與日俱增，不管是新型病毒引發的傳染病，還是古老疫病的捲土重來，現代醫學已顯得左支右絀，難以招架，眼前的 SARS 風暴，只是微生物新攻勢的又一波。