SARS: here to stay? Monkeypox: beware of exotic pets.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is probably here to stay, and every health care institution should take precautions against an outbreak. The signs and symptoms of SARS are nonspecific, and there is no early diagnostic test, no specific treatment, and no vaccine. In some parts of the world, including Canada, more than 80% of probable cases were nosocomial.