[Amendment to the infectious disease control law].

The Law Concerning the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients of Infections (the Infectious Diseases Control Law) enacted on April 1, 1999, accompanies an additional rule for reconsideration in five years after putting the law in operation and for taking necessary steps when needed. The responses against bioterrorism involving anthrax and smallpox after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in the United States of America (a notice on October 11, 2001 by the Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases Control Division, MHLW) and the response to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), an emerging infectious disease upon which a Global Alert was issued on March 12, 2003, by WHO, were discussed. On November 5, 2003, partial amendment of the Infectious Diseases Control Law and the Quarantine Law was approved and put into operation on. In the present amendment, the following three points were principally reconsidered: 1. strengthening infectious disease control in an emergency, particularly the role of national government, 2. reviewing control strategy of infectious diseases of animal origin, and 3. reviewing target diseases of the Infectious Diseases Control Law and categories of infectious diseases.